


Good Luck Friedrich

by worldwidecupcake



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alpha/Omega, Family, Lud and Feli have 7 kids, M/M, Omega Verse, everything is wild
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-11-22
Updated: 2018-07-19
Packaged: 2018-09-01 11:06:15
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 40,416
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8622157
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/worldwidecupcake/pseuds/worldwidecupcake
Summary: A series of video diaries by Isabella Beilschmidt for her baby brother, Friedrich, where she details and explains the lives of their hectic family.





	1. Video 1

**Author's Note:**

> Heavily based on Good Luck Charlie.
> 
> I admit, I must be a huge masochist, because only someone enjoying from this pain would dare add ANOTHER multichapter story when she is dealing with TWO other ones. But I couldn’t hold myself, I’m weak when it comes to family gerita. I’ve had this idea developed in my head for a long ass while, and I just had to start writing it okay.
> 
> I was curious as to how Ludwig and Feliciano would deal with such a big family (They have seven kids in this), and idk I see Feli wanting a big family as this one, but that’s just my own headcannon.
> 
> So this is omegaverse, which will include a pregnant Feli and apologize greatly if it is not to your liking, in no way are you being forced to read this, if you want to ignore it you may. If not, I hope you enjoy yet another one of my endeavors.
> 
> Reminder that I will be extremely slow updating this, but as always, be patient, I’ll be working on it when I can.

The screen began showing a small room, its bed to the side against the wall, a large space in the center with only but a carpet to decorate. All other items were orderly placed on top of desks, dressers or shelves. It was sufficient enough for the thirteen year old girl who inhabited it.

She took her seat in front of the camera, losing her hair from the double braid she had worn out for the day. Her long brazen brown hair fell down beautifully against her back, showing her waves and curls, two shinning specifically above the others. She took notice of her room, for a moment groaning, her bright blue eyes rolling to the side.

Yes, it was orderly and clear as she wanted, as her Vater would want, but she was annoyed by the bright and constant colors that made her look like any other typical teenage girl ready to talk about make-up and boys.

Most of the things she had were usually items her older and younger sisters, even her very own papa, placed to give a colorful outlook. It was apparently to keep the entire house lively and artistic.

Curse being in a family with too many painters. But as she gazed once again to the camera, she remembered she wasn’t here to talk about room décor.

She clapped her hands as if to restart her thoughts.

“At the moment this video is being tapped, Friedrich, you came into this world merely ten days ago. You caught us completely by surprise. Vatti wasn’t even here, but at least we had Heinrich and Alessandro, your eldest brother, who without, you probably would have been born on the kitchen table. It would have turned out a complete mess. I would still be cleaning weird blood substances from the floor." She picked up a bucket and a mop she had ready right under her desk.

“It was nothing easy and I’m pretty convinced more than ever that I’m never having kids…”

 

The last bag was placed on the trunk, Ludwig shutting the door tightly with Alessandro’s help.

“Seriously, consider it,” the young boy told him.

“I’m not letting you behind a wheel until you’re of legal age in Switzerland and that’s final,” he made clear with stern eyes and slight growling.

He was honestly sick of it. His son had been fretting over this ever since he came back from Austria.

“I’ll be eighteen in a couple of months."

“I don’t think eight months counts as a couple."

“I can start driving with supervision though!” He hoped it was good enough to convince him.

“With an adult old enough. Heinrich doesn’t count, he’s your twin. Roderich won’t let you and although I adore Elizabeta, I really don’t trust her kind of driving supervision."

“But, can I-”

“No!” It was feral and Alessandro decided to give up for now.

The rest of his children were waiting by the sidewalk, and Ludwig gave the house keys to his eldest (by seven minutes to Alessandro), Heinrich.

“I hope I come back to see the house exactly as spotless as I left it,” he threatened with a potent finger at his face.

“Will do,” Heinrich nodded surely, quite confident.

Ludwig moved to kiss and embrace one of his daughters, the third more specifically, Analiese. “I chose the ties, please try to match or I’ll continue to die of embarrassment even from afar."

“I’ll try.”

Then it was his sixth, Aldrich, who he embraced as well. “Don’t forget to bring us souvenirs,” he said.

“If I have time.”

Some were still missing, surely getting some last things that were left inside the house and to calm the dogs from their master’s goodbye.

Ludwig stood up from Aldrich’s small height to stand commandingly to four of his children, for them to see and hear him clearly.

“I beg of you all, behave, don’t cause any more troubles for your papa then he has to deal with-”

“Vatti! Vatti! Vatti!” A little blond girl shouted, interrupting whatever speech he was meant to continue.

The rest of the brothers felt relieved.

The sixth ran skillfully down the front path of the house, holding lunch boxes tightly in her hands. When she came near, Ludwig easily picked her up in his arms for her to easily lie against his chest.

“I wanted to make you more cookies, but papa said they wouldn’t fit,” she handed the small colorful boxes to him and he took it proudly, smiling at the decorative ones of different animals in icing. They were done perfectly for somebody her age. He didn’t know how he could dare eat her wonderful progress.

“And we aren’t going to spoil his appetite either.” Feliciano finally headed out with Isabella by his side, the fourth. They both held topper ware, each handed to Ludwig in a pile.

“It was my first time boiling vegetables and potatoes, I hope it’s all right,” Isabella smiled proudly.

“I’m sure it will.” He had confidence. He could take the delightful scent of pasta, meat, potatoes and vegetables despite the covers, and was rather tempted to eat it all at the moment.

“Come, Giovanna, Vatti has to go now,” Feliciano held her instead, much to the little girl’s displeasure, pouting and whimpering but still falling into her papa’s arms.

Ludwig placed all the topper ware on the passenger seat and Feliciano placed Giovanna on the ground so she could stand by her brothers and sisters.

“Are you sure you’ll be all right alone with them? I could call Gilbert to come over.” Ludwig turned to his beloved, arms wrapped around his waist, pulling him against his chest…as much as he could with Feliciano’s large rounded belly holding who would be the seventh and last addition to their family.

“Gilbert is still dealing with some business in Berlin, I don’t want to burden him. I’ll be fine, there’s nothing to worry about,”

“I know, it’s just-” he placed both his hands to his stomach, rubbing soothingly as if he could already caress and say good bye to his youngest.

“Don’t worry,” Feliciano took his hands in his own, “doctors said the little one won’t arrive till next month and we should expect a healthy baby.”

It gave Ludwig confidence and an adoring smile that Feliciano was glad he could help to create. Ludwig raised his hand to caress the side of his face, pushing away any fallen waved and curled hair behind his ears, so he could gaze clearly to those beautiful and glowing amber eyes.

“I’ll call every night." He kissed those wonderful lips and gave him one last embrace before he departed.

He turned to the driver’s seat, but not before giving one last glare to each and every single one of his children. “Feliciano, please let me know if they do anything they shouldn’t. I’ll deal with proper punishment when I return.” He took his seat and started the engine.

Feliciano saluted like a faithful soldier, “will do.”

The rest of them panicked.

“Ich liebe dich."

“Ti amo cosi tanto, amore mio."

And with both sharing one last smile and wave, the alpha was off down the winding roads, his family’s eyes never leaving the vehicle until it passed their neighbor’s, uncle Vash and aunt Lili, turned a corner, disappeared behind the hill and surely downward to continue on his destination.

They remained eerily silent, being attentive to even hearing the disappearing motors echoing across the mountains. Once it was gone completely, the only one who dared move was Feliciano, who turned to them with a smirk.

“You know what this means…pizza for dinner and breakfast!” He shouted loudly, surely for all who were in the street to hear as it echoed. It didn’t help when it was later joined with shouts of the teenagers and kids, wailing as if they were given a great victory, marching into the household for their prize.

 

All they had eaten the last three days was pizza. Not that any complained, especially when it was made from scratch by their own Italian omega father.

Good food, the beginning of their summer break, no strict alpha father, it was the life. Sure, all were easily adapting themselves for the two weeks they were to spend without their alpha father, but it was not as easy for Feliciano. It was the first time being away from him for so long and already he craved for his hold, his kisses, his words. He despised waking up to an empty space beside him, cold with only the presence of his baby kicking about inside his stomach.

It was around late midnight when Feliciano was awakened by the fall of rain, startled for it was sudden, anxieties peeking from being alone. A quick look to his right showed that he was not, and for a quick moment he though the mop of blond hair belonged to his Ludwig.

It was only Aldrich, wrapped in his cocoon of blankets beside him. Feliciano had asked at dinner for someone to take Ludwig’s place in his bed, and Aldrich gladly took it mostly for the chance to sleep in the largest room in the house with the Queen bed, pillows, and sheets.

Of his six children, Aldrich looked the most like Ludwig. His same pale skin, bright blond hair, some of his facial features, and the same blue eyes hidden under close lids in sleep. Yet no matter how many people said Aldrich was practically a clone of Ludwig or how some even doubted he was Feliciano’s son, he could tell his own smile, his gentle figure, and long eyelashes that made many forget that Aldrich was in fact an alpha. He was such a sweet, beautiful, and adorable boy and Feliciano couldn’t hold himself from spreading his fingers across his hair, soothing him more in his sleep. He was hungry though, as expected of someone who was carrying another life inside him.

Making sure Aldrich was still comfortable, he sat up, a rather difficult feat in his predicament, already dressed in one of Ludwig’s long shirts and heading out the room. He checked the rest on his way, all fast asleep…except for his eldest, who typed away in his laptop, his electric piano at his side, testing out a note from time to time.

“Heinrich, it’s going to be one soon. Go to sleep, you have all summer to work on your piece.”

Heinrich had to take off his headphones to hear properly. “Sorry, just working on some last notes on this line.”

“I hope it’s that line only.” He came close to place soothing hands on his shoulder, taking a glimpse to the computer to see he had filled half a sheet already.

“It’s coming along great. Play it for me in the evening tomorrow.”

Heinrich would be glad to, even if it was still unfinished.

Any other thing he wanted to say was stopped by the sudden snore and murmuring coming from Alessandro, at the top of his bunk bed, practically at the edge with an arm and leg dangling, making Feliciano worry that he would fall off. Heinrich thought of waking him to take a safer position, but decided on rolling his eyes and leaving him be.

“Go on, sleep.” The omega placed a kiss to his son’s head and left him to shut his computer.

Feliciano continued his way down the stair case, towards the kitchen, covered in deep darkness, avoiding the three dog beds where their pets rested across the main hall. He knew well enough where the fridge was without turning any lights. He had the handle tight in his hand, ready to open to the gallery of light and food, when a sudden discomfort held him, a rumble that arose from his stomach, a heaviness that began to fall until it broke, dripping down his legs towards a new formed puddle beneath him. It instantly woke the dogs, who sat and looked among to see where it had come from.

Widened eyes, a panicking stillness, relaxation replaced with a coming of dread, worry, and of course, a unique pain that made it clear to him what was about to happen.

“Heinrich! Alessandro!” He screamed just loudly enough for it to go above the sound of rain and for every corner of the house to hear.

The dogs began barking, he heard a loud thump. Surely something heavy had fallen. A door crashed open and a figure quickly made its way down the stairs.

“What is it?” Heinrich asked nervously.

Alessandro came running behind him, rubbing his back and sides from the fall he just suffered, while also trying to calm the dogs. “Did we run out of risotto again?”

Heinrich turned a light on, revealing his omega father still holding tightly to the refrigerator, panic evident in his facing, sliding as if he would tumble down to the floor at any moment.

“What’s wrong?” Heinrich asked again, moving closer.

Feliciano couldn’t even speak, simply looking down to the mess he had made. Once Heinrich realized, his face went blank, so did Alessandro once he went to take a peek as well. “Oh, shit.”

The house then turned to a screaming mess, footsteps running across the wooden floors as they all awoke in frenzy, looking or thinking about what they could do, the dogs following behind and occasionally barking as they tried to make sense of what was going on.

“Alessandro, I don’t think a cow is going to get us to the hospital on time,”

“Papa will might as well give birth in the hills,” Analiese added, holding to her omega father, who was currently breathing heavily, which only worsened knowing that they were still unsure on how they were going to get to the hospital or if he was even going to give birth in one.

“Uncle Vash and aunt Lili?” Alessandro asked, desperately checking any contacts they could call from their small address book.

“They left to Zurich, and won’t come back for a month,” Annaliese reminded.

“What about the Jones?”

“I rather not,” Feliciano managed to say as another contraction ran through him. “Call your vatti,” he suggested.

“No!” The eldest three screamed in unison.

“Definitely not!” Isabella called from upstairs, coming down with a prepared bag.

“Papa, what clothes should we use?” Aldrich called, helping Isabella with the things they needed to take.

“Just take the ones Uncle Gilbert sent!”

“Didn’t Vatti say-”

“Forget what Vatti said! We don’t have anything else!” Feliciano shouted, starting to truly get angry from the pain.

All bags were ready, but the issue of their transportation was still evident. Aldrich came down with his own load to bring, and along he brought forward a large toy care he kept in his room.

“That’s useless, Aldrich!” Alessandro shouted.

Aldrich had to return with head laid low as he tried to find anything else that could help.

“I think,” Analiese had given up, “we should actually call Vatti.”

“He’s going to explode!”

“But he’s the only one that will probably know what to do."

“He’s in Munich. What the hell could he possibly do?”

“We have no other choice.”

 

Ludwig was enjoying from the calm, the dim light, sitting upon the comfortable and lavish bed the hotel offered. It was 2 a.m., but he could still not find it in him to sleep, reading on the manuals they had given him, making notes in a clipboard beside him. He picked his cellphone wanting to check the time to decide if he should rest for now. Just then the cellphone light up with a call, a picture he had taken of Feliciano’s resting face one beautiful early morning. He grinned, quite eager for the call, leaning down on the bed as he accepted it and put it to his ear.

“Hallo, liebling."

“Vatti?” He recognized Giovanna’s tired voice. A yawn escaped her and Ludwig swore he was hearing fighting in the background as well as the constant barking of the dogs.

“Mausi, what’s wrong?” He asked quite calmly, trying not to quickly jump to conclusions, but his youngest barely called liked this unless she really had to tell him something.

She let out one last yawn before she answered: “I think the baby is coming.”

Ludwig felt his blood congeal.

“Mausi, are you sure? Don’t joke with something like that.” It couldn’t be, the doctors said the baby wasn’t coming until the end of July.

He heard clearer shouts, doors smashing loudly, fighting and probably items falling…he rather not think it was.

“Tell me what’s really going on.”

“I told you, the baby is coming. Papa dripped some weird water on the floor and now he’s breathing hard and he’s really angry because it’s hurting a lot. We’re trying to find a way to get to the hospital but you took the car, we can’t take Aldrich’s toy car, or a cow.”

“What if we just walk?” Ludwig heard Alessandro suggest.

“Stop suggesting stupid ideas!” He heard Isabella shout back.

Oh gott, it was actually happening. Feliciano was going to give birth…without him, the only help being teenagers and children who had no clue on how to deal with a messy birth process. He was shaking, not sure if angry, worried, or stressed…probably all combined. The frightening and shouting continued, Ludwig pinching his temple, thinking, sitting up as he groaned.

“Mausi, put the phone on speaker and give it to either of your eldest brothers,” he forced to calm his voice, trying to breath with ease for now.

Giovanna quickly pressed the speaker, handing it to Heinrich and Alessandro, who were just running pass her as they fetched some blankets.

“It’s Vatti,” she told them.

They panicked to the point of almost wanting to cry, but they couldn’t make their alpha father hear that, especially in a moment like this. Hesitantly, they both answered synchronized: “Ja, Vatti?”

“Listen closely,” he started, a hidden growl that they could still hear closely despite. It got them to tremble, but enough to have them listening full ear. “Heinrich, you’ve fixed your pianos, trumpets, and guitars yourself, correct?”

“…Yes…” He didn’t know what he meant with it.

“Go over to the garage."

“Uh…” he made is way, ushering Alessandro to follow him.

Alessandro turned the light on to the dark, mushy, and dirty room. They barely used it.

“Okay, now what?”

The only thing there was the old golf Volkswagen.

“Is the golf still there?”

“As always."

“I’m going to guide you to fix it,”

“What?” Both Alessandro and Heinrich answered.

“Vatti, we haven’t used this car since we were toddlers. You tried fixing it yourself already, it’s worthless.”

“We’ll make it work.” He sounded very convinced and sure. “Stop wasting time and open the hood,” Heinrich switched the camera, “I’ll lead you on what to do.”

“Uh…” Heinrich was hesitant, but still did as commanded, opening up to the old machine covered in dirt, cobwebs, and even dead cockroaches. He brought his hand to his mouth, thinking he was going to vomit.

“Stay with me!” Ludwig shouted, “Alessandro! Get the keys, they’re still in the key holder in the kitchen, fetch the cleaning supplies and get the car ready for all of you.”

A quick glance inside and it was in a very similar mess to the motor. “But…Vatti…”

“Don’t you dare! Get the things and start!”

Alessandro groaned but rushed forward back into the house.

Heinrich began to work, with his alpha father’s constant shouts, through pieces, cables, pushing, pressing, even hitting. Annaliese and Isabella joined in helping Alessandro clean, quick enough to have it ready for when Heinrich turned on the engine.

The four of them were covered in dirt and sweat by the end of it, but they were so relieved to see it work, ringing loudly with chance.

“My dress.” Only Annaliese complained as she noticed the white silk of her night gown darkened by soot.

“Ah, what a shame.” They couldn’t believe the sarcastic tone came from their omega father, who was coming, being held carefully by Aldrich and Giovanna. He was still breathing harshly, sweating, and his face contorted constantly into pain.

“All of you! Get in!” Ludwig shouted loudly enough from the phone, still on speaker.

Everyone simply followed, forgetting something important, only wanting to fulfill their father’s order.

“Alessandro!” Ludwig addressed, “I want you to drive.”

It took a moment for the boy to truly understand.

“You want me to what?” He wanted to be sure.

“Drive! And do it before I think about it any longer,”

“Okay, okay, got it, got it.” He instantly took the wheel, excited, but once he truly knew he had to move the car himself, rashly through the high hills of the region in time to get his omega father to the closest hospital, the weight settled upon him. So much responsibility in just this little spot, with the rest of his family awaiting him with grand hope in their desperation. Sure he had driven in Austria, small times in their Uncle Roderich’s car around their small town, unaware from the rest in silent early mornings or late nights, straight ground with no hill but only trees, maybe some simple curves. It was breezy, it was nice, with no harm available in the radar. This was his home in Switzerland, lost somewhere in tall hills with dangerous cliffs at his sides, dark forests, roaring rivers, and all the while having his entire family panicking over the coming birth of their omega father. All this in the wheel of his hands.

“…Alessandro, are you okay?” Ludwig suddenly asked with concern, breaking the sudden silence that had come as they waited for Alessandro to start.

“Uh…yeah, I’m good.” He didn’t sound convincing.

The garage door was opened, the night there for him to take. He paralyzed yet again, the road in his vision looking like lava rocks.

“Alessandro! Would you please start driving!” Annaliese shouted, badly enough on his hear, for Feliciano’s breaths worsened and the hold he had on his daughters’ hands became too suffocating to bear.

Not letting himself stall any longer, he floored it, the car rushing off instantly, shouts and screams joining. He ignored it, he went on no matter how messy he got and no matter the trouble he could cause and get them into with the authorities. What mattered was the medical attention his omega father needed so his younger sibling could arrive well.


	2. Video 1.2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey look I managed update on this, woo! As always, I’m very slow with this one and just be patient. Hope you enjoy!

Giovanna had luckily turned off the call with Ludwig as soon as they made the first turn away from the house, at which Alessandro was extremely appreciated of. His driving was not giving an impression at all. He was too nervous, he had his entire family panicking in the back, swaying in a mess with the movement of the car. So many times they feared he would tilt the car over a precipice or crash against a mountain. Bless that they were the only ones in the road or else he would have made contact with anyone and they did not need any more delays to their journey. Whose idea was it to live in a mountainous area like Switzerland anyways? After this, his alpha father would surely not let him near a car again.

Luckily, the very hospital Feliciano had given birth six times before was the closest one, just before reaching the nearest village. It was a late night and the staff was lounging about, a relative quietness as everything was tranquil. No commotion, no action, all to be suddenly interrupted by a loud crash. They had all jolted suddenly, looking around them for the explanation.

“I wasn’t the only one who heard that, right?” One nurse asked.

“No, must have been-”

The doors crashed open and in came the familiar blond twins, carrying with them their haggard, heavy breathing, omega father who desperately depended on the hold his two sons had of him to stand.

“Sorry for crashing the car at one of your posts, but my dad is about to have his baby, so please just help him!”

“Oh mercy, right away.” A nurse instantly went to begin the preparations, two other ones coming to aid the twins.

“Soft breathing, Feliciano, soft breathing, we thought you had learned already,” one of them told him. Feliciano was in too much pain to say something back.

As the hospital began to take sudden life dealing with this, the rest of the Beilschmidt-Valenti finally came down from the car, tired expressions, and still shaken by that crashing experience.

“And I thought driving with papa was bad enough,” Isabella commented, her, Analiese, and Giovanna trying to tame the wildness their hair took after the speed, the turns, the halting, pulled and stepped on from that ride.

“Ugh, I can’t believe you guys brought me here dressed like this.” Analiese was angered at showing herself in a now stained nightdress, slippers, and no makeup.

“We were kind of in a hurry if you didn’t notice. It’s just the hospital, Ana."

“Oh, what do you know, Bella! An agent could find me here! Or perhaps I’ll find love with a hunky French nurse,” she dramatized as always.

“Uuu, where them French hunky nurses at then?” Alessandro hoped, looking to the halls of the hospital expectantly.

“You know, you guys should be more excited about having a new sibling,” Aldrich commented.

“Trust me, after the fourth, we just got used to it,” Heinrich said, which Isabella looked to insulted, since she was the fourth.

A nurse then came over, clipboard on her hands, signing and organizing, catching up to meet the six of them. “Well, what a night this will be. Are you all okay?”

“I want to meet the baby!” Giovanna shouted expectantly.

“You will soon child,” she said sweetly to her, “but where’s your alpha father? Ludwig has always been the one to bring him here and join him in the birth process."

“He had an interview for a promotion in Munich,” Heinrich answered.

“He decided to go, with Feliciano pregnant?”

“The doctors were sure that the baby wasn’t coming till July.”

She groaned as she wrote down on her clipboard. “Well, someone has to be in there to give him some support. Any of you over eighteen?”

“Seventeen, sorry,” Alessandro raised his hand.

“Then how did you even get here without any other family members?”

They all zipped their mouths in silence, even the eldest standing rigidly not sure on what they could actually say without getting them into trouble.

“I could go in,” Isabella volunteered, hoping to drift the topic away.

“How old are you?”

“…thirteen.”

She thought it over, looking about the hospital, to her clipboard, before she gave up with a sigh and decided. “The staff will just have to understand. Come on, we have to properly dress you and I have to prepare you mentally for the things you’re about to see.”

“I’m sure it can’t be that bad,” Isabella was confident, joining her side as they headed inside through the double doors.

“The rest of you wait here, a nurse will later come out with news,” were her last words before she went along.

They nervously took seats in the lobby, wrapped in the jackets that Aldrich had kindly took for them. Alessandro checked his phone to see that he had already received countless of messages from Ludwig, asking if they arrived to the hospital, if they were attending Feliciano, if they were all safe, if the baby was even born yet, asking for gender, was it an alpha or an omega, even for damn pictures.

Calm down, –he’d never thought he’d see the day in which he’d actually write that to his alpha father- we just arrived to the hospital and they instantly took papa in. I’ll call you if anything, Alessandro had texted him, then settling in his chair hoping he could take back the sleeping hours the emergency took away from them, but truth was none of them could. In actuality they were excited, they were nervous, they were eager. It was a new family member, entering suddenly without warning. They worried over their omega father, who was surely going through intense pain at the moment. Would he be all right? Will the baby come out all right? Would Isabella be able to witness something like that? They had heard a couple of birthing horror stories, but there was nothing they could really do but wait and inform family members and friends of the situation.

This was all in their omega father’s hands.

Hours passed, until most of them couldn’t deal with the waking stress and ended up sleeping, cuddling between each other over the hospital lobby chairs. New daylight began to enter, just as the double doors harshly swung open, the bang enough to wake all five suddenly, ready to act.

“Is everything all right?” Heinrich was the first to ask, rather sudden to the nurse who was coming forward with a calm and gentile smile.

“Congratulations, you have a beautiful, healthy little omega brother, and your father is doing excellent.”

They all glowed with the news, excited gasps and looking among each other with joy, especially Analiese, who raised her arms in victory. “Finally, another omega! I was getting sick of me and papa being the only ones.” She already inched forward, as if it was enough of a permission for her to see the baby first. The rest moved just as forward as her, the nurse reading the beg in their eyes.

“Can we go in and see them?”

“It’s only fair!”

“Please, please, please, please, can we, can we, can we,” Giovanna begged, coming close and even grabbing at the nurse’s robe.

“If you all would have let me finish, I was going to tell you-” she went and held the doors open for them, “-right this way.”

They all gave their own shrills of excitement and headed in, down continuous halls until they met Isabella, who was just coming out of the room, exhausted, blood shot eyes, awake and tense. She was so sensitive that Alessandro’s hidden chuckle was enough to perk and notice all her brothers and sisters before her, right when she was coming out for a breath.

“Wow, you seem completely sane, Bella,” Alessandro joked.

“I-I am, no-no big deal! I-I’ve seen worst,” she clearly lied, a clear sign being the way she moved her hands as if to cover more the look of trauma in her face.

“So? Can we go in?” Analiese asked excitedly, pointing to the door that she knew their papa must be trying to rest with baby in hand.

“Go ahead, but please be silent, the baby is resting and papa is still hurting and really tired.” Isabella offered to open the door for them, and one by one they headed in, trying to find space in the small room Feliciano was giving to birth and rest.

Luckily the nurses had been quick in riding all the ugly and blood stained things, so everything seemed clean, and although Feliciano did seem paler, dejected on his bed, it still wasn’t enough to take away the strong hold he gave to the bundle in his arms, his smile, and the loving gaze he gave to the newborn. With the child only being but a couple of minutes, there was nothing distinguishable about it. The only visible feature was his face, as bubbly and cute as any baby, in serene sleep, the bundle being a blanket of baby chicks that their uncle Gilbert had gotten specifically for this new coming child, head covered with a little puppy beanie that used to belong to Aldrich. No matter, the little thing was enough for all to smile, to come close curious, having to hold themselves from cooing or asking for Feliciano to get a turn in holding him. It was best to leave them as they were until a nurse came over or Feliciano deemed it. Aldrich and Giovanna were the closest to get to the bed, gripping the sheets, Isabella and Heinrich holding them from actually getting on the bed to join their papa.

“He’s soooo cuuuuteeeee,” Analiese complimented in quiet, face blushing, eyes practically watering.

Feliciano smiled, agreeing. “Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful darling,” Feliciano whispered to the baby, holding him ever closer, face inching close to his to take in his new scent, to touch their noses and then lay a simplistic kiss on his little forehead that was enough to create new movements and an adorable yawn that earned the woo of everyone in the room, inching the ever closer, Alessandro being the one to bring a hand to hold with a free one Feliciano held out, soothing him still from continuous pain, but at least his family and finally seeing their new little member was enough to dim it out.

A sudden vibration was enough to crack the silence, that of Alessandro’s phone, asking for an immediate Facetime talk from Ludwig. He thought it safe enough to accept.

“It’s been seven hours! Don’t stall any longer and tell me right now what-” He got his answer. The very first thing he saw was the baby, cradled nicely in Feliciano’s arms, and he was brought suddenly into the quiet and calm of the very room. He fell into the awe of his new baby, not daring to question anything else. Nothing else mattered, it looked healthy, beautiful and it was safe with its family.

He was supposed to go into a meeting room now, people rushing by him, but he stayed in his seat, co-workers seeing him smile and with a calm that was rare. Ludwig didn’t care if he was going in late, that small little thing mattered more, and he would risk whatever punishment for this small little moment of love, devotion and proudness.

“Isn’t he a beautiful omega, caro?” Feliciano began, “the nurses said it has your eyes, and look.” Very slowly, he moved the beanie upward enough to reveal brown hair, a couple of small little curls already standing, but still not enough. Ludwig easily knew that it would grow into the curls of its omega father.

“Your hair,” Ludwig said with a chuckle.

After a silence of only watching Feliciano cradling the baby ever closer to him, guilt reigned on him, wishing he could quit all this and drive back to all of them to be there for this dear moment.

“Beilschmidt!” A man from the meeting room called, commanding with his stare that he should be inside.

“Einen Augenblick!” He called, not ever leaving his stare from the phone.

“Caro, about the name…” Feliciano wanted to leave one thing clear before he had to hang up.

“You want to do what I suggested?” Ludwig was already guessing.

Feliciano nodded. “Yes, I think it would be fitting.”

Ludwig smiled, in it the assurance that it would be that name.

“Turn the phone,” he called, and so Alessandro pointed the camera to the rest of them.

No, he wasn’t doing it to scold them, to glare at them, to blame them, no, he seemed genuinely happy, even more so at watching them all together, safe, joyful about this very moment as he was.

“I’m definitely proud of all of you. You did excellently and had shown me well that you can take good care of yourselves as well as your father. I hope you do just as well taking care of your younger brother while I’m away.”

“Of course we’ll take care of him! We’ll love him and protect him lots!” Giovanna jumped excitedly with promise.

“I can’t believe you even doubted us,” Isabella said.

“I didn’t doubt you, I was just nervous. I never wanted any of you to have to go through this panic and worry, and I was afraid what it could suddenly drive you all to do."

“I brought us all here fine, vatti. You shouldn’t put all this weight on only yourself, we’re a family and you know that we’ll do everything for each other,” Alessandro assured.

“You know that you can trust us for anything, we’ll make it,” Heinrich added.

They loved that this new smile was because of them, a realization in his eyes about who they were becoming. His twin boys had grown, nearing adulthood and they showed the strength to deal with disastrous situations as this. Although Analiese and Isabella still held their youth of teens, he could spot in them the coming of powerful womanhood that made them shine the taller and proud. Aldrich and Giovanna, he would relish more on their childhood, it was dear and he needed to continue to be there for them to be as strong as their older siblings. It was the same guidance he would give to their new addition. He wished he could take one last look at his mate, holding the dear little bundle, but he needed to go into the meeting, his co-worker was tapping angrily at the door.

“Ich liebe Sie alle,” he wished lastly.

“Wir lieben dich auch,” they all told him lastly, and the call was then gone.

Alessandro hid the phone, their happiness continuing with just starring and meeting if even dimly their new sibling.

“What’s the name you and vatti are going to give him?” Aldrich asked, his hand reaching to leave a gentle hand on the bundle. It was kind and sweet so Feliciano didn’t mind it.

Feliciano gave one rubbing of Aldrich’s hair, then a hand cradling on the back of his new baby boy, being careful, watching, already in his mind that name being called, already his…

 

“Friedrich…Friedrich…” Isabella called sweetly, the camera showing the newborn resting upon a potent shoulder, one that it had been its resting place for the past three days. His eyes had opened to reveal a big blue, impressed, interest in everything new around him, including the device one of his elder sisters held close to him. Maybe he wanted to try and reach a hand and touch it, but at the same time he had calloused hands holding him, careful in the patting and rubbing it gave the baby’s back. It was so good for the baby, it easily settled back on the shoulder, on the chest the rest of his body laid in, head leaning against a pale neck, eyes shutting in the close of a new coming sleep.

“Is he going to sleep?” Ludwig whispered.

“About to, yep,” Isabella answered him.

“Can I hold him now?” Giovanna asked, laying upon Ludwig’s lap in waiting, with a question Isabella had caught in her camera for about ten times already.

“You held him enough already before I arrived, I have to make up for the days I wasn’t here,” Ludwig excused, standing finally from the couch, but being extra careful as to not make any sudden movements that could awake him. It was hard when he had to avoid tripping over any of the dogs, who currently were looking up to the baby, excited to be close to it or even just watching out for it, even if it was in the hands of its alpha father.

He moved over to the kitchen, Isabella pointing the camera so one could see their uncle Roderich, aunt Elizabeta, and Feliciano rummaging through the cabinets and refrigerator.

“Okay, so we need butter, chicken -”

“Lemon juice!” Elizabeta called out after she couldn’t find it.

“Make sure to bring a lot of tomatoes, there isn’t enough for your zio Lovino,”

“Nutmeg!” Roderich added.

“Got it!” Alessandro had written it all down, the camera now pointing to his figure on the counter, writing in a paper where he had everything.

“Welp,” he stood, taking a pair of sunglasses to wear and straightening his jacket, a prepared stride in his walk as he headed out, hands extended as if he was a god all should bow down to. “Whose going to join me on this epic quest, I’m driving!” He took the keys from the key holder and was already heading outside.

“Please, Roderich, Elizabeta, go with him,” Ludwig begged.

“I’m sure Ale will do fine, besides Feliciano needs help!”

“I’m all right, I really can’t do much until Alessandro gets everything.”

“Can I go with him, papa?” Aldrich suddenly asked, pointing to the exit that Alessandro just took.

“Can I too?” Giovanna wanted to join as well.

“Of course!” He brought them close to rub both their blond hairs, kissing their cheeks and heads. “I’m naming you watchers in making sure Alessandro brings just the right amount of tomatoes.”

“Lots and lots!” Giovanna knew.

“That’s my girl! Now go.” They instantly ran off, but not before taking their jackets from a rack at the front.

Heinrich and Analiese then came down from upstairs, rushing to join their brothers as well to leave.

“You guys are going too?” Feliciano asked.

“There’s a music store near the market and I need to buy a piece for the trumpet. Hopefully I can fix it tonight,” Heinrich said, taking his own jacket, and even offering Analiese’s pink branded one.

“And my space pallet eye shadow just ran out! I’m going to the pharmacy!” A true emergency to the girl.

“Is everyone going to leave then?”

“Seems like it,” Roderich said, helping his wife with her own jacket. They had given up to Ludwig’s plead in accompanying Alessandro in his driving.

“I think it’s best I also leave. Someone has to make sure we all arrive back in time and Alessandro doesn’t distract himself with something stupid,” Isabella added.

The camera caught the array of them picking their things, petting the dogs, and heading out to the small car that was supposed to fit all of them inside. They somehow made it work.

The last footage was Isabella wishing goodbye to Friedrich, Feliciano raising the little hand to make it seem like he was waving goodbye as well…

 

Off they were, leaving Ludwig, Feliciano and Friedrich alone with the house, an incredible amount of silence falling that was just odd to them after how alive it was just seconds ago.

It didn’t last long.

Another car was added to the already present ones before the house, Gilbert already running in a rush towards them.

“Where is my new nephew? I demand to meet him so he can have immediate exposure to my grandness,” he already shouted.

“Calm down and come in first!” Ludwig scolded with a roll of his eyes.

He still held the baby in his shoulder and chest. He was in no way going to offer him to his brother when they were outside, where they were so exposed and dangers lurked everywhere.

Such was the way Ludwig’s mind would get whenever a new baby came into the house.

He made sure Gilbert came in first, sat comfortably in one the couches, with no near threat, Ludwig shushing the dogs so they could stand calmly before Gilbert. Once he knew everything was secured he offered the infant, and Ludwig had no doubt about the dear hold Gilbert gave him.

“Awww, look at youuuuu, look at you, you’re so cute! Agh, I already love you so much! You’re the cutest baby! Yes, you’re the cutest! Cutest, cutest, cutest!” Gilbert coed, bringing him closer to rub his little nose with his. “I’m going to take tons of pictures of you! I’m going to buy you so many things! And I’m going to give you lots and lots and lots of love. Just you wait and see! You’d want to leave your Vatti and Papa and come with me to Berlin and you’ll be the most adorable little prince there!”

It was adorable to see Gilbert react this way to their son, but they didn’t think they could live with having another son leaving the country, especially their youngest, who was only eleven days old.

“Seriously, guys, gorgeous as the rest of them. A good job as always, Luddy my boy.” He patted him proudly, with a smirk and a wink that made the blond groan and want to hide his face in his hands.

“I did much of everything, Gilbert,” Feliciano wanted to remind.

“Of course, your genes help in making him so adorable. I have a feeling it’s going to look like you.”

Feliciano hoped, three of his boys already looked more like Ludwig, and although each had a touch from the omega, it was still nice to have one that was mostly him, with only Ludwig’s eyes as trace of the alpha father.

“And what did you name this wonderful little cutie? You guys kind of wanted to leave it a surprise,” he wondered, thinking that perhaps they named him after some close or distant family member as they always did.

He continued to look down to him, making little faces to get his attention, a strong and caring hold that Ludwig feared it would be hard to take the baby from. Feliciano gave a smile to Ludwig, and the blond shared it with him, a hand going to bring him close to him by his waist.

“Friedrich,” Feliciano said.

Gilbert’s expression suddenly got serious, looking up to them, but his hold was still as dear, if even more know if they actually did what he thought they did.

“Friedrich Gilbert actually, Friedrich Gilbert Beilschmidt,” Ludwig completed.

They expected some sort of instant reaction, but Gilbert remained frozen, the only movement his turns from looking to the baby, to its parents.

“You…oh god, you…you named it after me?” he acknowledged, with a taken and loving look in his eyes.

Friedrich was a Prussian historical figured that Gilbert adored. He wrote most of his papers in college, including his thesis, on him, in his collection having one the flutes he used to own. He constantly joked that if by some powerful miracle he ended up having a child that would be the sure name he would give him. He didn’t have any children, and being in his forties, he found it a less likely chance, besides, having his seven nieces and nephews, one even with the name he adored so much, was sufficiently enough. And then they actually gave him his name, the little beautiful thing even wearing a little footsie pajama of childish knight soldiers with clear Teutonic symbols.

“Our son deserved to have a name modeling someone strong that has helped us in ways that we think we can never repay,” Ludwig told him.

“We thought a name could be enough,” Feliciano smiled.

“Oh god it’s, it’s-” he continued to gaze to the baby, their eyes meeting, smiling, Gilbert even beginning to tear, blowing, having to raise his fingers to stop any that shed. He only managed one, he couldn’t control the rest that did.

“You guys! I can’t believe you’re making me cry! That is not cool!” But that didn’t stop him, that didn’t stop from Ludwig and Feliciano smiling so dearly, from Gilbert bringing his new nephew closer, forehead against his, lips laying gentle kisses on that nose, starring eyes with big smile, so much new love and commitment ready to be given.


	3. Video 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Managed an update woo! As always, expect slow ones with this story, but since lately I’ve been getting a lot of messages about it in tumblr, I planned of a way to work on this one quicker after I finish a new thing I’m working on, so you might get the next chapter sooner, but let’s see how that goes. Hope you enjoy!

“I think they should be a dark pink.”

“No, no, no, a nice gentle orange!”

“But we already painted this in baby blue, it won’t match!”

“Oh trust me, my kind of orange will be perfect. Wait till we start mixing and you’ll see what I mean.”

“It better be pretty, because if not, I’ll feel embarrassed walking by this every day.”

“Analiese, you’ll be in Paris by the time we start using it."

“I still have an entire summer here!”

Isabella had enough of this, she switched the camera from the wall her papa and older sister were currently discussing on, to the crib where Friedrich lay, facing the ceiling, ever curious eyes darting every part of the ceiling, room and the dogs that watched around him, his cute little hands and feet wobbling, still testing out his first movements. To Isabella there was nothing more adorable, especially since he was wearing a really small and cute woodland creatures footie pajamas.

“Hi, Friedrich. You are now three weeks old! You see your sister Analiese and Papa there,” she pointed as they began a tracing, and to her surprise, the baby followed the movements, his eyes now frozen on their figure, wobbling more, surely wanting his papa’s attention.

“They’re working on our semester calendar for when school starts again in September…well, for the ones who are staying in Switzerland of course. Papa takes this wall and paints all our schedules into this huge beautiful calendar surrounded by beautiful designs of a theme we all vote on. This time, fairy forest won. It’s a way for us to organize ourselves as well to not forget any of our assignments, plans or even what day were in. He’s being doing this from the moment Heinrich and Alessandro started Kindergarten, and as we got older, we even help him. Maybe one day you’ll help papa and vatti make your own calendars.”

After her explanation, she started pointing the camera around the high ceiling of this living room, the elder walls, the different paintings their papa and the rest had decorated with over the years.

“This is a beautiful place, isn’t it? Large, lively and even strong.” With a little last poke to his nose, she stood and began walking around, introducing the kitchen, the library, the halls, from the ones in the basement as well as the top floors, their views of perfect blue sky, of green hills, colorful fauna, from the distance and even the ones they grew in their garden and yard.

“This place is more than two hundred years old. Vatti used to tell us a story about a powerful woman that used to live here, so selfish and greedy that a witch placed a curse on her to never leave the threshold of her house. Vengeful she was she began to study all kinds of witchcraft to get back at her. Once she learned enough, she challenged the witch on a dual for her freedom and vatti says that a great battle took place in these very hills until she acclaimed her winning. The process helped to make her kinder actually, starting a school to teach little witches and wizards what she learned…but then we told uncle Vash, and he just said that an old noble family used to own it, went broke and just left the house fall to pieces. Yep, the house didn’t use to look like this.”

She pointed the camera around, hoping with the story she was to tell that Friedrich could imagine how broken down it had been once, instead of all this strong wood, paneling, colors, carpets and order that took years to reach.

“You’re lucky you didn’t see it when it was still being worked upon, so the house can be to you from the beginning a strong fortress to protect and grow in and-”

“I’m starting to have second thoughts about this…”

“Oh come on, it won’t be that bad!”

A sling, a throw, a body being hit against the wall, creating a hole, debris falling on the ground, along with a dizzy Aldrich, who groaned and tried to relieve himself from the pain. Isabella was so startled she could only remain still, letting the camera roll and capture this. Alessandro came out the door his younger brother was slung from, panicking, as surprised to a still as Isabella. He was clearly not expecting for this to cause so much damage.

“What just happened?” Analiese shouted as she came up, gasping but quickly being the only one to hurry to Aldrich’s side, to help him up, check on him and embrace away any kind of pain.

After Friedrich started wailing, Feliciano climbed up with the baby in his hold, trying to shush him back to his calm, which was hard to do with the dogs following around and then for all to instantly panic when they saw where Aldrich lay, going to his side to help and inspect the damage. Feliciano quickly calculated and sent a heavy glare in Alessandro’s direction.

“What happened here?” He demanded.

“Uh…” Alessandro was quickly trying to plot something that wouldn’t get him into trouble.

“I have everything tapped. You can’t escape from this one,” Isabella interrupted.

Alessandro groaned but was still too scared to talk.

“Whatever it was, it’s your money we are using to fix this and your vatti will later give you a stern talking to,” their papa warned, beginning to pick some things to clean up as well as filling Aldrich with all kinds of kisses he sometimes wished could heal.

The last thing the camera caught as it turned away was Alessandro’s groan. It now instead focused on Isabella’s still surprised expression, deciding to move away from this commotion and find somewhere silent to begin.

“Okay, so, eighteen years later and the house is still falling apart, but trust me, it’s way better than how it used to be…”

 

Ludwig and Feliciano had arrived for the first time before the house almost eighteen years ago, on a bad red golf Volkswagen, the cheapest one they could find, with nothing but a couple of bags of clothes and other small items they could take in the small time they had.

Back then, there was no paved entrance, no garden, Feliciano couldn’t even spot the door, only but grass and vines standing tall and wrapping around every available opening of the old decaying house. Feliciano came out from the car and neared, not fearful, finding available spots to enter through the fauna until finally he could reach the door, a heavy lock impeding any kind of trick. Luckily Ludwig had brought a large snip to easily break it, and although the door was free for a simple push to give them entrance, they both though it appropriate to use the keys they were given for their first entrance. The locks worked sufficiently and Ludwig pushed the door for him, instantly greeted by a cloud of dust, falling specks of rocks, the only light being the one that came from the door, illuminating only but greyed floors, rotten wood and walls, and various holes that let quite the cold air drift. Pieces of the ceiling lay on the floor, rats, cockroaches and spiders scurried, and Feliciano was just about ready to let himself cry.

“Ludwig…it’s much worse than they said,” he honestly told.

Ludwig sighed, agreeing, taking off the heavy jacket he wore to instead give it to Feliciano, making sure to cover him well. He tightened the beanie on his head, fitting the large jacket well on his shoulders, then buttoned the area where the large bump in his stomach lay.

“Stay here, I’ll check the rest of the house."

“No, I want to see it too. We need to see it together.” He already moved forward, taking his arm decided.

“Feliciano, all kinds of sickness and diseases are in the air. I can’t risk you and I can’t risk the baby either,” he was determined.

Feliciano raised his hand to cover his mouth area from the dust, dirt and contaminated air. “I’ll stay like this, and don’t worry, as long as I’m by your side, I know I am well and that you will protect me,” he promised.

Ludwig groaned but ended up accepting, making sure that Feliciano’s hold of him was tight, assuring, for no such escape even if something were to suddenly happen.

They started the inspection, checking the functionality of every still standing door, of the broken windows, of old mural paintings that Feliciano would be determined to fix. The floors creaked much worst as they took their steps. Some halls were inaccessible with all the debris and old furniture that piled. The stairs were so unsafe, with many holes and even worst piles of impending entrance that Ludwig and Feliciano feared to go up to the second floor or down below to the basement.

As they were checking the old kitchen, Feliciano gave a simple little cough.

“We’re leaving,” Ludwig decided.

“But-”

“We saw enough. Come on, let’s go.” He took a more protective hold of Feliciano, trying to cover his entire body well on him until they finally exited, closing the door behind them.

They moved the car only but a mere distance, for Ludwig’s Swiss cousin’s house, which lay in the very near vicinity. His young cousin Lili was the one who instantly came out to greet them, offering them both kind embraces and welcomes, helping them with the small luggage of things until they were brought to the basement, which would be their stay in the meanwhile.

The four of them shared a dinner of soup, baked fish and a simple summer salad, just perfect enough for Ludwig and Feliciano after everything.

“How soon are you planning to start on it?” Vash asked.

“Tomorrow. I’ll start by cleaning it up, getting rid of all those old piles of junk,” Ludwig already planned on his head.

“But…aren’t you already going to start working on Vash’s mechanic shop as well?” Lili wondered with worry.

“I will. I’ll just wake up early and work what I can before leaving, then come back and continue until it gets too late.” He didn’t seem to mind at all despite the deep hurt Feliciano felt, knowing that he would exhaust himself so much for him and for the coming baby.

“Take it easy, Ludwig. Why don’t you instead work on it on the weekends?” Vash suggested.

“We have no problem with letting you both stay here however long until it’s good enough for you two to move in,” Lili added.

“I rather not. I want to have it done as quickly as possible. I don’t want my son or daughter to come into this world homeless,” he said while taking his bites of salad and fish harshly in determination.

“Ludwig…” Feliciano reached a hand to lay on his arm dearly. “I’m only four months in, the baby won’t be coming until January. We have enough time. I don’t want you to overwork yourself. We’ll manage what we can peacefully, and even if we don’t have the house ready yet, the baby will have us, and a lot of love, and that should matter the most, right?”

Ludwig still remained pensive, but he did take a dear hold of Feliciano’s hand, rubbing it gently, with promise and wishes, eyes landing on the bump of his stomach, reminding him of everything he still desired for the little thing that was growing inside.

“I still want to give it everything,” he said, the heavy promise obvious in his attentive eyes, to nothing but the bump and Feliciano’s face.

“It will have it, Ludwig, there’s no doubt, but don’t hurt yourself in the process. I rather this baby have you and me than anything else." He raised his hand to rub at the side of his face, quite an intimate and meaningful moment for them, which actually left Vash and Lili feeling rather awkward.

“Do you know its gender yet?” Lili wondered, quite excited about the coming little cousin she’ll have and wanting to change any gloomy air in the table.

“We were going to ask if you knew any doctors. I should be getting my first sonogram soon and that’s when we’ll surely know,” Feliciano smiled, excitement reigning once again.

“I really do not mind what it will be, I’m just worried about his bump, it’s too big for someone whose only been pregnant for four months,” Ludwig told.

“Mrs. Natale, she has a lab in the village. The number one person to go to about this. I’ll give her a call and assure you an appointment as soon as possible,” Vash promised.

They continued on other topics, until all plates were empty and they could withdraw to their sleeping preparations.

As soon as Feliciano had his shower, he sat down on the floor, a sketchbook on what was supposed to be his bed, drawing along while Ludwig was finishing his own book, with every turn taking a glance to try and have a peek at what his mate was doing. The only time Feliciano broke from his concentration was to stare at the clock in the bedside table, showing that it was about to be midnight.

“Caro, you should be going to sleep,” he told him.

“Not until you do as well,” Ludwig told him back, but obeying and closing his book, leaving it right at the bedside table as Feliciano did with his sketchbook. Ludwig made space for him and Feliciano took his spot beside him, letting their arms wrap around each other, dwelling in their softness and warmth.

“What were you drawing?” Ludwig asked, curious after he hadn’t managed to catch a single glimpse.

Feliciano had no problem with picking the sketchbook and showing him, both gazing to Feliciano’s plans for the house, how he was thinking of making the gardens, the entrance, the façade, the rooms, the halls, the living room, the kitchen, the terrace, all to every last detail and intricacy, a wonder that Ludwig could agree would be the dream they both wanted for this house. The last drawings were the plans for the baby’s room, still unfinished, but what took Ludwig’s interest was the giant stuffed dog doll in the corner. He raised his eye at that and Feliciano couldn’t help but laugh.

“Will that really be necessary?”

“Of course! Our baby could play with it and make it feel protected. I’m sure this child would love dogs as much as you do,” he grinned, nuzzling his nose with his.

“Well, if we can find a place that sells big stuffed dog dolls, sure, and also…if we have the money,” and Ludwig gloomed, saddening and worrying as every time he thought about the economic problems they faced, sighing and hoping he could forget about them in the trace of his fingers on Feliciano’s stomach.

“We will do what we can, please don’t worry, Luddy. If we can’t get it, it’s all right. Small little ones would be enough, I don’t mind. Like I always say, what matters the most is being together,” Feliciano said, taking the side of Ludwig’s face to rub, easing him close for a meet of their lips, the last soothing touch to bring them into their sleep and dream.

 

Feliciano convinced Ludwig to stay resting in the morning, only to be awakened once he had to leave with Vash to start working at the shop. Once they were gone, around the slope of the hill in their car, Feliciano and Lili picked some bags they quickly prepared after breakfast and headed down on foot to the old browned house. Once they were inside, Lili cleared whatever old planks, curtains, broken glass or piles from small openings, letting in more natural light into the old home, much easier to see and work with. She made sure that both her and Feliciano were covered as Ludwig would have wanted if he was there, with tied cloths on their mouths and heads, gloves, old hoodies, old pants, boots, and she jokingly put a pillow around Feliciano’s bump. They started clearing the main entrance, everything either moved to a single pile in a corner or outside in another one. They moved, they dusted, all through the day, until finally Feliciano could actually spot the stone of the floor clear. It was only a small space, but it was relieving, it was a sign of progress.

Time was lost to them as they worked, the late evening approaching them without notice, until sudden steps joined, neither Feliciano’s nor Lili’s.

“What are you doing here?” Ludwig instantly scolded, rushing off to take a hold of Feliciano, dusting away any dirt, taking watch of every part of him, relieved to find absolutely nothing stuck to his skin or signs of sickness since he prepared himself well.

“Lili and I thought it was best we started while you and Vash were away,” he smiled, still content and proud over the little they had done.

Ludwig gazed to Lili, who was dusting away the last of a corner they had decided they would reach for today, smiling and waving to Ludwig as a greeting before she continued with throwing all that dirt through a window. Ludwig couldn’t really complain or get angry, for as his eyes settled on what they worked. It was actually plentiful, the whole entryway clean, sure still a lot of things to be worked upon, but at least most of the old junk and piles were not there anymore, a nice clearing to work peacefully and be more focused on.

“Feliciano, you did an amazing job, but next time,” he reached and took the broom he held, “just wait until I arrive, I don’t want to risk you getting hurt or sick.”

Feliciano couldn’t help his groan, “just because I’m pregnant does not mean I’m incapable, Ludwig. I really want to have this house ready as much as you do, so I want to work on it when I can. It’s our home and I want both of us to work on it together. Don’t feel so worried, I covered myself, I’m with Lili and this street is completely safe. Please let me come here more often without you, I really want to offer what I can.” Even if his gloves, even if all the dust that lay on him and his heavy wear, he still leaned to embrace Ludwig, and he had no hesitation to wrap his own arms around him, only sighing as he let his hands play at his hair, still gazing to what they did, an excellent job for something that was just him and Lili.

Ludwig was weak to all this love.

“Promise me you’ll always come with Lili, do not try to move any of the heavy things that can be straining for you and never take any of the stairs until I fix them, all right?”

“Sì, amore,” Feliciano agreed, smiling unto Ludwig’s chest, relishing in his warmth and comfort.

Extra steps joined, those of Vash as he entered, gazing to what his sister and Feliciano did, an impressed smile as he nodded approvingly to everything.

“Excellent, need any other hands?” They continued until it got too late, with not even their flashlights enough to light up the continuing cleaning they did.

By the time they returned back to Vash’s house, they did well on trying to clean out one of the old living rooms and halls, all piles gathered at the front, Vash having called a truck to pick it up the next morning. They had a nice and welcoming dinner where Feliciano asked Ludwig and Vash about their day, Ludwig suggesting to Feliciano and Lili what they could do while they were away the next day and about that doctor they needed to contact for an appointment.

 

During the week that passed, a friend of Vash offered to get rid of every ugly bush, tree and tall grass that covered the house. It was all done in an easy day, more for the expecting couple to look, for more light to shine upon it and for more order as they continued to clean, by that moment having finished clearing most of the first floor, covering windows and doors with plastic wraps, installing some large electronic lanterns to help them work in the night, even a foldable table where they kept things like tools, bags, extra brooms, mops and formulas, as well as for whoever was working to have their breaks for food or just rest.

Ludwig and Feliciano decided to halt everything for that Monday since Mrs. Natale, their new Obstetrician, gave them an appointment for Feliciano’s first sonogram. Vash gave that day free to Ludwig without hesitation, understanding well what it meant, and so both headed to the village that morning, excited and nervous.

“Ciao, è un piacere incontrare un altro italiano," she greeted with cheek kisses that Feliciano had no problem with sharing in as they entered her office, Ludwig right behind, offering his own greet with a nod and a shake of her hand. “Vash told me you both moved in about a week ago. You chose a perfect place for your child. It’s a very German-Italian area, both the languages and cultures will be there for them to witness and grow with, although I’m sure you two will plan trips to your countries from time to time.”

Instant gloom set on their faces at that last mentioning, Feliciano stuttering and gazing to Ludwig for hints, wondering what they could tell her. Luckily, sensing how they felt about it, she started the questions quick, the three helping to fill in before it was safe enough to get Feliciano to lay at the chair to start. His shirt was raised, the gel was placed, the machine started and already she had the device circling, studying the screen for what was slowly appearing.

“Any guesses for what it will be,” she said wanting to keep conversation between them.

“We haven’t really sat to talk about it."

“We really won’t mind anything, we just wish for the baby to be healthy."

“But we do want to know if it will be an alpha, omega or beta, to make the necessary arrangements to the room.”

“Ah yes, I heard you two bought the old Wagner manor on an incredible deal. How are you going to deal with the reparation? I’m sorry to remind but the house has been in a horrible state for decades. That kind of fix will take a lot of time and money. I really wish you two luck,” she really did hope, dealing with the screen as the image became much clearer.

“Slowly, one thing at a time.”

“It’s true, we don’t think the house will be fully prepared for when the baby arrives, but we will do what we can so it can be the house they can come into as soon as we leave the hospital that day,” Ludwig expected.

“Right now we’re on a brink with this baby coming, we can’t pay for anything big, but just accept help and do what we can ourselvea."

“So I assume this is the only baby you’ll want for a while.”

“Yes, just for now, I mean, I’d love to have a big family, give this one a little sibling in the future, but we rather wait until we can have enough money and more prepared rooms to take care of a second one,” Feliciano smiled expectantly, already envisioning, one Ludwig couldn’t help but fall dearly to, with such a gentility and smile that betrayed his tall and intimidating demeanor. Mrs. Natale couldn’t help but smile herself, finding them both so sweet.

With one last checking, she came to a conclusion that she was eager to give to the happily expectant parents. There it was and she elated…but after she thought about what they just said, all sweetness left, her smile soured, clear hesitation that Ludwig and Feliciano noticed, of course worrying, Ludwig taking Feliciano’s hand ready to hear whatever it was she would say.

“Signora…is everything all right?” Feliciano wondered, sitting, wanting to be strong for her coming words.

“Um…yes, everything is just …well…from what I can see, you’re going to have healthy alpha boys,” she declared, afraid of the kind of reaction they will get, but still trying to remain as cheerful, to lessen the heaviness.

“Oh, healthy alpha boys,” Feliciano sighed with great relief, but still maintaining his hold in Ludwig’s hand, who felt the same coming calm.

“Hear that, Luddy, we’re going to have alpha boys, just like you. Alpha boys…alpha boys…alpha boys…wait…” the realization hit them.

“Eh…congratulations,” and she turned the screen, to make it obvious that there was in fact two growing little figures in Feliciano’s stomach, which explained the rather large bump he held for just four months. “You’re having twins…”

 

Ludwig and Feliciano felt all kinds of emotions at that moment, proud to know what their baby would be, of course, healthy, amazing, but two…two babies, identical twins at that, when they were at ruins, an old decaying house they just started fixing, Ludwig with a single job that was not even enough to pay for one baby and now they had to suddenly deal with the fact that they were having two at the same time.

Mrs. Natale calmed them, gave them books, medicines, ways to relax, even offering numbers for people that were bound to donate anything they might need for now two babies. Still, they left the lab with gloomed expressions, the only ounce of joy but a little picture of the sonogram that showed the black and white grained images of the two growing figures. Feliciano maintained his gaze only on it, planning what he could do with it, anything to not look at Ludwig’s expression as they drove back to continue working on the house. Even without seeing him he could sense his trouble, the harshened grip he had on the wheel, a stressed expression, singular on the curved roads they drove.

He thought about putting the picture on the fridge in Vash’s house, maybe on a little frame at the working table in their own house, or he could just keep it in his sketchbook until they actually had a nice wall they could frame it on. He sighed, they didn’t even have a real place to put something as simple as a sonogram picture.

They arrived before the house, so suddenly to Feliciano, who was too dedicated to the picture, to then raise his gaze to the rather horrible house, seeming more ugly now, more taunting, even after they cleared it of everything green covering it at the front, after the internal cleaning, after they placed some lanterns to give it life while they worked in the night or when it got too dark during the day.

Ludwig just got down, not even waiting for Feliciano or offering to open his door, he just went straight into the house, his gaze as frontal as from the moment he was told that he would father twins. Feliciano took a couple of easing breaths before he decided to head out himself, with easy gentle steps, enough for Ludwig not to notice as he gazed to the plans of the house they set on the table, one they had found when cleaning one of the old libraries. It had all rooms marked, which gave more of an assurance and form to how it was once, a help to repair. Ludwig pointed and marked, before he settled on an idea, raising his gaze, pensive and wondering, before he finally laid his eyes on Feliciano, who was shy to come any closer, for dread still seemed to hover above them heavily.

“There’s a series of rooms in this hall,” he pointed above them, “right in the center is the second largest room of the house. A door is right across what will be ours. We have to immediately start work on the stairs, cleaning, fixing the floor and ceiling. Once that is done, we’ll instantly set to work on that room for them.”

Feliciano nodded and so Ludwig closed the plans and sat on a chair, letting out heavy breaths, trying to relax, his head resting on the lean his arm took of the table, drained, tired, with now an extra heavy weight to worry about that didn’t let his mind or even body settle.

Feliciano let him dwell on it before he uttered: “I’m sorry…”

Ludwig raised and turned his gaze to him, wondering what that apology was for.

“I…didn’t expect them to be twins."

“You can’t control that, Feliciano, it just happens."

“Still, having twins runs well in my family, I should have…thought about that, and maybe if I knew…then…” he couldn’t continue, the whimpering didn’t let him, the tears trickled down easily and no matter how hard he gripped his hands on his jeans, it didn’t stop his watering and trembling.

“You would have what?” Ludwig stood, coming close, the scene a breaking that took him a lot of strength to not break the same, extending his hands to caress his face, looking into his eyes as a way to calm him enough to speak.

“Then I wouldn’t have left us do this, I wouldn’t have left myself burden you,” he breathed enough, letting his own tears fall upon his fingers as Ludwig continued to dry them, as Feliciano moved his glance away, too saddened with heavy fault.

“You were, are not, and never will be a burden to me, even if I knew what we did would have produced twins, I still would have done it. I rather have this…falling and tumbling house, broke and with nothing but a couple of bags of things we managed to bring then have the life we used to live before. I would choose you ten times over it.” He pulled his face enough to lay kisses on his cheeks, on his lips, enough of an assurance, enough of an intent.

“I’m happy were going to have alpha boys, that they’re healthy and that we’ll have a big family, it’s just…” he took a deep sigh, hands now falling to rub on his stomach, with the same stress, the same lingering and even fear that he’s worn ever since the news was told.

“I was already scared we wouldn’t have for one…and now that we’re having two…I’m worried…I want them both to be well, to be brought into a secure house where they’ll have everything, entirely everything that I can offer to them and you, but all I have is this house that-” that very moment a piece of the ceiling broke and fell apart unto the clean pavement they had cleared in one of the living rooms. It was so common they were pretty much unfazed by now. “…does that, a job that doesn’t pay enough, barely for one baby, no degree, no qualifications, nothing to really bring what I want into this family. It’s concerning, distressing and I fear that you and our boys will just see me as a disappointment.” He lowered once again, his graying returning, so downed that he couldn’t even continue his words.

No, neither could stand to see each other like this, so even with Feliciano’s own still falling tears, he leaned to place his own hands on the side of his face, in the same caresses, softness and sureness that Ludwig just gave him.

“You were, are not, and will never be a disappointment,” he repeated, with a shining smile, glee in his eyes despite the still falling tears. “I know right now everything looks bad, but we can fix it, there’s a chance for us to change it. We have so many people kindly helping us. We have Vash and Lili, all their friends and Mrs. Natale gave us a lot of numbers and locations to receive donations, we can use those. At least we have a house, not matter its ruin. I-I-I’ll start painting! Yes, I can sell some canvases, have a room with an amazing view just to paint. I learned some sewing from Lovino, Lili has a lot of fabric, I can make the babies’ clothing, I can make many other things to sell as well."

“…I could…try to make their beds and… most of our furniture,” Ludwig slowly began to elate with the prospect, already thinking of all kinds of projects, for Feliciano, for his coming children.

“You can?”

“My cousin Berwald taught me a thing or two. There’s a lot of wood in this area and Vash can help me get anything else. I’m pretty confident in what I’ll be able to do."

“Oh, they’ll be more than enough, they’ll mean more than whatever expensive thing we can get in a store!” Feliciano jumped into his embrace, both now smiling, swaying and laughing, bringing this space more love, more of them, with true elation for the coming twins, confident to give them everything even with the little they could manage. It made this old cringing house lighter, beautiful and more their home.


	4. Video 2.2

Five months later and the house brought Ludwig and Feliciano…a little bit more pride.

Before they knew it, they were meeting the New Year for the first time in Switzerland. They celebrated it at Vash’s place, where they set up a little get together with some friends, many who had helped Ludwig and Feliciano in the continuous reconstruction of their house.

There was still a lot to go. They haven’t really fixed the ceiling properly, many rooms were still in the same state and everything shone in a slated grey color. They really couldn’t put anything to decorate, they haven’t given it formed as they wished, they still cooked and ate in Vash’s place because they still hadn’t managed to get proper appliances, as well as bathe because they were still managing with the plumbing. But at least it was safe place to linger on, to watch, to take rest, even sleep for the night on their still under construction room, with only but a mattress and a couple of trunks where they had all their clothes and items.

There was only one room that was done to the perfection they wished, with sealed holes, strong ceiling, strong floor, a good door, windows and all the colors, furniture and even toys they managed to get. They dedicated their all to this room the last few months, sacrificing whatever help, money and energy for the comfort of the ever coming closer arrival of their twins.

It had been a work of unison. Ludwig did most of the heavy job like replacing walls, flooring, ceiling, working with the electricity, placing the door, the window, building the rocking chair, the cabinets, small little chairs and a station that would be easier for Feliciano and him to give them their baths, change their diapers and clothe them. Feliciano had cleaned away any debris from the process of change, painted, filling the walls with beautiful flowers, bunnies, puppies and foxes, sewing the babies’ blankets, many of their clothes, the rugs, making the cushions of the chairs, ordering and placing all the pieces Ludwig made, helping him carve, decorating and adding items on the shelves of different bunny, fox and dog dolls they bought or were given to them, as well as hanging pictures of friendly forests on the wall.

The first thing they did on the morning of that New Year was place the ready cribs for the first time, each with their own mattress, blankets, toys and mobiles. Only one part at the middle wood of each was covered with a sort of white tape, meaning enough that had Feliciano smiling and practically jumping even with the heavy weight of a nine month pregnant stomach.

“Ready?” Ludwig asked him.

“Yes!” Feliciano shouted.

“All right, which side first?”

“Left!” And so Ludwig kneeled and began riding the tape, until the first letter was shown.

“This is the one you carved,” Ludwig recognized.

“Mhm. I hope you like the name. I know you mentioned you liked Alexander, but I kind of…changed it.”

“We made a deal, but I’m glad you took the suggestion,” he smiled before he began to remove it completely, until the carved name showed: ‘Alessandro’.

“Should have seen that coming.” He couldn’t stop his grin though, looking at the name with such loving intent, caressing it for the deep meaning it would soon be to him.

“Do you…like it?” Feliciano still worried.

Ludwig extended his arm, wrapping it around his waist and pulling him close until his face could lay on the large bulge of his stomach. He placed a kiss there, just as he could feel a kick, which only made his grin bigger.

“It’s perfect,” he assured, which earned Feliciano his own meaningful smile, letting his hands fall to caress at his hair, un-gelled and freed.

“Should we look at the one I carved?” Ludwig decided to ask, rather urgent himself.

“Yes!” Feliciano shouted, already turning away and ready to rip off the tape in one movement. He only stopped himself sensing Ludwig’s heavy stare, understanding that he should be as slow as Ludwig had done the revealing. Feliciano began to painfully do so, until seeing that the first letter was an H, which had him looking curiously to Ludwig, expecting some hints of what it would be.

“You told me you liked Enrico…but I um…” Now he was suddenly nervous, afraid that Feliciano would really dislike it.

Feliciano turned his attention back to the peeling and removed it completely, revealing ‘Heinrich’.

Feliciano smiled and then laughed, giving the name a caress, while also placing a hand to his stomach, rubbing surely with now two names for his coming boys.

“It was…the German version. I know you would give the other an Italian one, so I though…” Ludwig commented, slumped and worried.

“It’s adorable, and cute, and perfect. You chose an amazing name!” Feliciano neared to his side, letting Ludwig wrap his strong arms around the extent of his stomach, while his hands went back to playing at his hair.

“So…were decided?” Ludwig asked.

“I think we are, I really like both those names…Heinrich and Alessandro,” Feliciano repeated so sweetly, swaying now against Ludwig as he let himself lay comfortably by his stomach, showering it with kisses and caresses, occasionally gazing to the now complete room, the dream and the secureness they wanted, an ideal come to life that they couldn’t stop staring to, couldn’t stop feeling proud and couldn’t hold their excitement.

 

On the night of January 17th, resting together on the mattress, one of the only items in the room, Feliciano suddenly jolted up, with heavy breaths, feeling sudden cringes, sudden contractions that had him heaving, too distracted in the pain to notice that their sheets were drenched.

“Ludwig…Ludwig…Ludwig…” he tried to call, shaking him awake until Ludwig had jolted as well, feeling the wet patch on the bed…seeing Feliciano’s heavy breathing, his urgency…oh.

“They’re coming,” Feliciano knew.

“All right, sit there and wait while I get the things and the car ready. Remember what Mrs. Natale said, just breathe, relax, I’ll get us to the hospital soon.”

Ludwig hurried, leaving one last assuring kiss on Feliciano’s hair before he went to pick the bags that they had prepared mere days ago with clothes for Feliciano, items for the babies and even for himself. He assumed he would be staying at the hospital until they found Feliciano ready to leave along with their twins.

As he got everything on the car, turning the engine and making sure it worked well by moving it closer to the house entrance, he called Vash to let him know that Feliciano was entering labor. Vash in turn told Lili, who shrilled and demanded to get ready to join them at the hospital as well. Ludwig went back to the room, where Feliciano tried to keep his breathes even, harsh grips on anything his hands touched, including Ludwig’s shoulders as he picked him up with easy strength despite the heavy weight of his stomach or any substance that coated him.

“You’re going to be fine, Liebling, everything is going to be all right,” Ludwig continued to calm him as he brought him over to the car, driving it at a fast pace through the curves of those hills until they reached the hospital, operating as per usual at these late hours, instantly preparing to take Feliciano in as they had expected by schedule for this month.

Ludwig never left his side throughout the process, never letting go of the hold of his hand even as the doctors gave him the necessary robes to cover himself, instructing, readying for what he was to see and how he could offer his help. Ludwig saw as they gave Feliciano different kinds of injections and medicines, the room hastened with various doctors and nurses, settling everything that was needed for the delivery, for the cleansing, Ludwig handing them the blankets they brought. He watched as Feliciano worsened to the pain, sweating, biting his lips, trying to hold down any large wails, tightening the hold he had of Ludwig’s hand, who eased him how he could with kisses to his temple, caressing his shoulder and whispering assuredness into his ear. None of it seemed to work as the pain worsened, as the contractions became heavier and blood gushed down. Finally, the doctors would then announce the appearance of one of them, asking Feliciano to push and to continue managing how he could with the pain. The sweat worsened, tears now coated his face, a strained expression that broke Ludwig’s heart and there was nothing he could do. None of the things he had tried worked, but never the less he continued, even as he heard the first wails of the first twin that came out, revealed and the cord cut. Ludwig couldn’t really look as they took him away to be washed and prepared, despite how much he wanted to take a peek, but he had to stay consoling Feliciano as he was still dealing with pushing the other twin out.

“Heinrich is out right? Heinrich is-is-whe-where is he?”

“Yes, yes, Heinrich is out, the doctors have him, don’t worry, you’ll see him soon enough, now let’s deal with Alessandro.”

It seemed the naming of which was decided and Ludwig didn’t mind it, in fact he smiled knowing, now kissing Feliciano’s hand as he dealt with pushing the other, until Feliciano could feel a slight relief, the doctors announcing the other twin’s outing as well as cutting another cord. The grip Feliciano had of Ludwig’s hand eased, he could breathe more evenly now, yet tired, still with slight rumbles of pain, fluttering eyes that were tempting him more and more into sleep. He couldn’t as the doctors continued working to help him get rid of the placenta, cleaning and making him more comfortable.

In his hazy vision he tried to find his boys, he cared for nothing but seeing them, both being worked upon on the back of the room with the nurses doing all the necessary things before they were ready to be handed to their parents for the first time.

“I want to…I want to…” Feliciano kept repeating, extending his arms, wanting nothing more than the chance.

“Feliciano, let them do what they have to, they’ll give them to us soon enough,” Ludwig assured him, never stopping his caresses, his worried gazes and holds. The only moment he stopped was when two doctors finally reached with them, one baby wrapped nicely in a royal purple blanket, being the older twin Heinrich, and the other in sunshine yellow, being Alessandro.

Even in his exhaustion, with no energy and no clear vision, Feliciano instantly went for the hold of both them, only smiling and nodding to the congratulations before he spotted down to them.

Clear little bubbly faces, one moving about in little breaths in quite the calm, the other wailing loudly, trying to move his hands in the confinement of his yellow blanket, but even still Feliciano found the noises to be one of the most delightful things he’d heard, smiling, laughing and not daring to give his glances to anything else but them.

“It’s too much…” he suddenly said, breaking into sobs, “they’re both so cute and beautiful and everything and I already love them so much, I love them so much.” He brought them both forward to lay against his chest, their heads cradling comfortably into his neck, the one that was crying slowly falling into his own calm. It eased the heaviness, it was a way for Feliciano to try and give both as much attention as he could, both his arms working on their backs, kissing their covered beanie heads, not stopping the sweet words he whispered of love, of repeating their names and just letting himself swim in the pride of creating two perfect little children.

So immersed he was in them that he didn’t notice the commotion as doctors finished and began to leave, or even the way Ludwig leaned against the bed, with dreamy eyes and a proud smile, his gaze just as solidified on his twins.

“I’m being so rude,” Feliciano noticed, wiping away any clear tears on his face, turning to Ludwig to raise a hand this time to caress at his face, a sort of thanks, with loving eyes and a great smile that was enough of a convey for Ludwig to understand, to grab his hand and kiss.

“You can take your turn picking them up now,” Feliciano offered, letting Ludwig start with Heinrich, already being the careful father and making sure that Ludwig’s hold was an appropriate one, but Ludwig had quickly caught on, he had read enough and did it as perfect as it should be, the baby quite calm, only an occasional sound or a movement of his hands that Ludwig helped to free from the blanket. His eyes were frozen on him as he cradled him in the nicest way possible, making sure every touch was just enough to keep him this calm, a perfect chance for Ludwig to see every amazing detail about him.

It was as Feliciano had said, they were indeed beautiful, theirs and already love seemed to drip out of him, one he wanted this little one to receive completely. The smile Ludwig wore was amazing, for once Feliciano could glance away from his sons to stare at it, all while letting both his hands caress Alessandro’s back, who now had Feliciano’s chest all for himself to rest on.

Heinrich would have his own turn as Ludwig then took Alessandro, an exchange that they didn’t mind at all for the rest of the day.

 

Heinrich and Alessandro barely spent any time at the hospital nursery, Ludwig and Feliciano wouldn’t permit it as they were too busy giving all their attention and care to them. Besides, they really didn’t have anyone to visit, only Vash and Lili who came later in the afternoon, in awe at the children, both having their own turn in holding the newly born twins, to coo and cuddle, quite a scene Ludwig never thought he would see his cousin in.

The nurses suggested Feliciano stayed in the hospital for two more days of rest, as well as to take care of Heinrich and Alessandro, making sure everything with them would be fine before they could be taken to their own home.

The day before Feliciano’s release, they were moved to a more comfortable room, with plenty of light, space and a more comfortable chair for Ludwig to take his last rest while on the hospital. That midday, Ludwig was holding Heinrich and Feliciano was holding Alessandro, both cooing and still not being able to get over their sweetness, commenting on any little thing, from their noses, to their little hands, their few strands of golden blond hair and the occasional glimpse of brown eyes, Feliciano’s eyes Ludwig noticed, in the same shade and shine that hadn’t let him stop his grin the more he stared to them and only saw Feliciano’s same glow. They already had such beautiful eyes, the very eyes that had been one of the things that had made Ludwig fall in love, now theirs as well, to enchant him just as their papa’s.

There was suddenly a knock, Ludwig and Feliciano looking up to meet with eyes they never thought they would see here. They instantly stiffed, holding to their boys more dearly, as if trying to protect them from whatever coming outburst.

“I’m not here to do anything to them,” he told, extending his arms and hands in calm, in ease, taking slow steps into the room, enough to be heard clear, but distant to give the new parents an assuring space, settling an air of trust, truly letting them know that Feliciano’s older brother didn’t come with any ill intentions.

“I know right now…we’re probably…the last faces you want to see right now.”

They gazed over to the opening door, noticing the eyes of Roderich, of Elizabeta, Gilbert’s, Antonio’s and then a little small boy that held tightly to his hand, his clear interest on the twins hoping to meet his new cousins. Vash and Lili also joined, mostly apologetic for letting them pass. They tried to sign that they did what they could to stop them, but it seemed like it hadn’t worked. Feliciano nodded to them to not fret, that it was all right for now as long as Lovino and the rest explained themselves well.

“After everything we…know we shouldn’t be here, shouldn’t be…in any kind of radius near you, should be back and…dealing with what happened, but Feliciano, even if these are the…spawns of this guy-” he pointed harshly to Ludwig, who glared and didn’t take kindly to having his sons being called ‘spawns’ in the way he said it, “-at the end of the day they’re still family, they’re still my nephews, you’re still my brother and I love you no matter what you did and decided. We just have to accept and…do what we can as an apology and I hope that…you still let me be a part of your life…as well as letting me be a part of theirs.” Lovino was sincere, with caring eyes falling on the two newborns in their holds, a big fault, a heaviness that watered his eyes, made the grip on his first harsher, trying to stop himself from falling any weaker. Only silence continued, neither of the present dared to say a word, and the boy in Antonio’s hold couldn’t take it any longer. He dispatched himself and began running forward to his uncle.

“Augustino!” Antonio scolded, but the little boy was uncaring, daring to try and climb unto the bed.

“Ciao, zio,” he greeted as kindly, unaware about everything, just wanting his usual kiss and hug from his uncle.

Feliciano smiled, letting Ludwig take the extra hold of Alessandro, helping Augustino get on the bed so he could properly embrace him, as well as give him the usual kisses on the head.

“I missed you so much."

“I missed you too, caro. Have you behaved?”

“You know I’m a good boy,” Augustino pouted, in a way that was exactly as Lovino would have done as a child. Although Lovino and Antonio’s child did look more like Antonio, with his same brown locks and green eyes, his expressions were definitely Valenti, and he showed it that instant, making Feliciano giggle.

“You better always be,” he poked his nose and Augustino laughed, comfortable and elated to be in his presence once again. His eyes then drifted to the two babies in Ludwig’s hold, curious, trying to rise and see more of them.

“You want to meet them, don’t you?” Feliciano guessed as much.

Augustino eagerly nodded, a begging in his eyes. Feliciano gazed to Ludwig, who accepted, and so together they brought the twins forward, right under Augustino’s watch, to examine, to wonder and to even lay next to Feliciano, extending his hand to help as well with holding them.

“This one is Heinrich, and this one is Alessandro,” Feliciano introduced, all in the room hearing and making do with the information, smiling, needier in wanting to come in, wanting to interact.

“Ooohhh…but they look so much alike, how am I going to know whose who?” Augustino wondered.

Ludwig and Feliciano had noticed the small differences, taking their time just staring and differentiating those first few hours of their birth, but they knew it would be difficult for others who were meeting them for the first time.

“You’ll have to get to know them better to learn that,” Feliciano thought it was best he could say for now.

“...Papa said that might not happen…” he turned sad, an expression Feliciano couldn’t take, letting a free hand caress at his hair.

“Well…it’s going to happen.” And with that they all knew of the decision, of the second chance, faces alighting, with sincere happiness and hope that proved enough to Feliciano about how much they wanted to be here and what they wanted to offer. They all slowly began to come in, Lovino inched closer, taking better looks at his new nephews. He smiled, joined along by the rest as they took their first glances, with deep awes, hands against their chest not being able to take such sweetness.

“Can I…can I hold one of them?” Gilbert asked and Ludwig smiled, shared along with Feliciano in acceptance. They let Gilbert hold Heinrich, while Lovino decided to first hold Alessandro. Lovino cradled and even cooed at him with known experience, and Gilbert, who hadn’t held a baby like this since Ludwig, somehow managed, with the same sweetened words of love, of promises and devotion. Roderich and Elizabeta also had their turn, and in the process of waiting, handing and admiring the two new little additions, they chatted themselves, Feliciano finding out about how Lovino, along with his husband and son were doing, about Gilbert, about Elizabeta and Roderich, about what had been going on back in Italy, in Germany, and offering whatever help they could.

 

They were thinking of staying in Switzerland for about two weeks, just to make sure they were all well and that the twins were fairing. The next day, they all left together towards Ludwig and Feliciano’s new home for their twins’ first arrival. With cute beanies, the warm and heavy clothes Feliciano had sewn for the winter that was falling, in different colors as to not let the others confuse who was who, they were secured into their car seats ready for their first car ride. Feliciano had never seen Ludwig drive so carefully, taking any stop to glance back to them, even if Feliciano was already doing enough watching, but Ludwig kept wanting to be sure, slow as he took the winding roads, slowly icing with the cold air. The rest followed behind in three separate cars, honking at Ludwig for his constant sudden stops.

“I thought we would never get here!” Gilbert shouted as they finally headed out, the house now before them, all offering to help with the bags, while Ludwig and Feliciano each held on to a twin, as securely as possible to keep them protected from the cold.

“I know it’s not…the best thing in the valley, but we’re still working really hard on it, and once we finish, you all can come for as many visits as you like,” Feliciano told, arms wrapped well around Heinrich as he moved forward to enter.

“Vash explained, besides, we already saw it, the twins’ room is absolutely gorgeous,” Elizabeta said, earning a surprise from the new parents.

“Huh?”

“They had to leave a present. They talked to me and I found no harm in it. I had an extra key so I thought it was best they left it here to give you two a surprise,” Vash explained.

A surprise? They looked curiously over to the house wondering what it could be, the others smirking, ushering them to head inside so they could see it.

Up the prepared stairs, down the hall and Feliciano was opening the door to the twins’ room and heading inside, taking a deep breath once he noticed what they added.

A dog plush, large, large enough to cover the window it rested upon, its lap creating a resting space, the dog’s cute tongue hanging face high touching the ceiling. It was in dark and light brown colors matching well with the rest of the room, adding just the finality to make this room higher than the ultimate perfection they thought they had.

Feliciano shrilled, Ludwig smiled and the rest grinned on, watching as both of them got close to feel its amazing softness, introducing it to the babies, who they could already imagine years of playing with such a toy.

 

Isabella was currently recording an old picture of the twins as she finished telling the story, one of the first of them together, both tightly wrapped around each other, sleeping, blond hair revealed, cute little cheeks, noses and hands that made Isabella smile, wondering what they must have really been like.

She then moved the camera to two pictures taken on their second birthday, the twins looking insanely alike, smiling with exaggerated expressions. In both the pictures Ludwig and Feliciano held them, the camera taking the moment they laughed at watching such cute and funny faces their sons made, the other calmer, smiling, one of the first proud family pictures, now hanged on an appropriate wall. Below it there was the weathered sonogram picture in a tiny frame.

“This picture was taken shortly before papa found out he was pregnant with Analiese,” she explained. “I know, Heinrich and Alessandro used to look really alike. I myself have a hard time finding out whose who when vatti and papa show us their old pictures. The rest of us sometimes make it into a game, but now…” she began to move the camera down the hall, until she was recording the twins’ current room.

Of course, this was a room of teenagers now. The cribs, the diaper changers, all toys given instead to their younger brothers and sisters, or donated. Only three things reminiscent of their infant days remained. One, some of the drawings Feliciano had made in the walls, peeking through some of their posters, calendars, trophies and other decorational items. Two, there was the carved names Ludwig and Feliciano had made, which now they hanged at the front of their door, over the years having been painted on and coated with stickers. Alessandro’s was themed with stickers of bands he liked as well as different football balls from different championships. Heinrich’s was more simplistic, with singular colors of purple and a music note at the end of his name.

“Hey, guess who messaged me,” Alessandro teased, typing away on his laptop.

“I really don’t care.” Heinrich was in his own laptop making some edits to a file.

“I’m telling you anyways. Marco Rossi.” He was proud, spinning his chair in direction towards his twin, expecting to hear some form of congratulation or a comment of impression.

“I thought he hated your guts.” Heinrich hadn’t even turned, still working.

“Well, he’s finally learning to fall into my sweet temptation."

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. He just messaged you, he’s not praising you,”

“Soon enough!” He determined, going back to his laptop.

And the third item…Isabella pointed the camera to the large stuffed dog that still lay in the very same place, dirty laundry from both the twins at his lap, an electric guitar by one leg, an acoustic one by the other.

“Look at them! They don’t even look like they’re related anymore,” Isabella commented, moving the camera between the two of them.

Sure, they had the same shade of blond, the same waves they could show in the comfort of their home, even if Alessandro’s sides were shaved, the same golden brown eyes and even similar facial features, but their builds were different now, Alessandro’s more tall and built, while Heinrich’s was more slimmed and delicate despite being the older of the pair. It was change noticeable on their faces, that matched along with their growth, making them their own person instead of a copy of the other. They were both indeed proud to have grown like they did. It wasn’t exactly a comfort for them to know they looked so much alike when they had opposite personalities that had made their lives grow on differently.

"What are you going on about?" Alessandro wondered, looking to Isabella and the camera with quite the insult for having her just enter without any kind of permission.

"That you both look like the biggest dooffuses in the household," Isabella started.

"Who are you calling a doofus?" Heinrich finally moved away from his laptop, sharing the same insulted glance to their younger sister. "I mean, I would understand Alessandro, but you have to give me more credit."

"You approve of this?" Alessandro continued.

"I only accept the truth."

"Your truth is bullshit, right Christoph?" Alessandro smiled, directing himself towards the big dog plush at the bottom of the room.

"Don't involve Mr. Rovigatti into this!" Heinrich shouted.

"You're just afraid he will agree with me!"

"Since when does he agree with you? Christoph is always on my side!"

"No he isn't, I thought we established that I'm the one who has a special communicative connection."

A discussion continued on between them about who had been more faithful to their giant dog plush throughout the years and who deserved more this supposed ‘connection’. Isabella recorded on, swinging and showing clearly that she was not in the least bothered about this fight. She took better interest in taping their little dachshund, Blackie, who came in wagging and hoping for attention by either of the twins. Neither gave it to her and she was left disappointed to just scurry around the room hoping for something interesting, maybe a lost toy, maybe a treat either of the boys left on the ground. Her attention landed on the big dog plush that she took scents of, hoping for food, for toys, but when nothing appeared, she settled with doing something different. She raised her little leg and let a stream of urine coat a big patch of the fur. It was the sound that interrupted, that halted, that earned gasps and groans.

“Blackie!” Both Heinrich and Alessandro shouted angrily, the intensity and meaning enough to have the dog running out before she was the target to anything disastrous.

“Agh! He fucking peed the leg on my side!” Alessandro complained, coming over and trying to see how he could clean it up quickly.

“He peed my Vienna hoodie!” Heinrich realized, moving the jacket away in hopes of saving it from spreading, but it was already too late.

“Look what you did!” Heinrich immediately blamed, pointing the jacket at his twin.

“Well I can’t control our dog’s bladder!”

“Oh, but didn’t you have special communicative connections with a dog doll!”

“Well maybe it was someone’s turn to take out the dogs for a walk!”

“I-”

Sudden wailing, that of a baby, no other than Friedrich.

“Would you two stop this idiotic fighting this instant or I swear I will go up there and settle things myself the hard way!” Their alpha father shouted from the living room, an echo of fury that was enough for them to instantly stop, frozen expressions, already bowing their heads in a scold even if their father wasn’t on the same floor. To their surprise, it was what brought calm between the brothers, to help themselves in cleaning, and as Isabella came down wanting to finish the video with one last glimpse at their baby brother, it was just the shout that somehow brought the small baby to calm once again.

He rested on his alpha father’s chest, his omega father resting on his mate’s shoulder, a hand caressing at the small curls of the little baby’s head, both with beautiful smiles as they stared on together to their seventh child in peace once again.

Isabella was glad she had been able to capture such a tender moment.


	5. Video 3

One of their living rooms was in a complete and utter mess. Isabella recorded all kinds of shirts, skirts, pants, dresses and shoes loitering the floor in different shades, brands and forms, and it only kept growing.

As she raised the camera to the center of the room, it focused its vision on her elder sister, Analiese, who was currently picking, throwing and only adding more as she brought from upstairs.

“Friedrich, I want to let you know that she’s not leaving to Paris till next month,” Isabella began, watching as Analiese groaned once again about a match she had made before she went for another one.

“That one is pretty,” Giovanna pointed to the newest match, a beautiful long red skirt with a small white shirt. Isabella thought that with the right white heels and jewelry it would be an outfit of splendor perfect for the type of strutting she imagined her older sister will take in the streets of Paris.

“Of course it’s not! Everyone is repeating this style right now. I can’t let myself be part of such lack of originality.” To the floor, back to searching through the many piles.

“Analiese starts high school in September, and not just any high school, oh no, she got accepted into a specialized designing school working with all kinds of important fashion and modeling companies. She drove herself crazy last year trying to get in, but luckily she had a big help from uncle Francis, who she’ll be staying with when she leaves to Paris again. With the meaning, she’s dedicated on trying to look the best the school has ever seen.”

“Yes, talk about my feats! Let our little brother know of the fabulous and beautiful elder sister he has!” She praised, striking poses to exaggerate herself.

Isabella and Giovanna did a unified roll of their eyes.

“Ah yes, this is perfect!” She finally decided on a dress, a retro styled navy blue one that flowed perfectly. She placed it inside the large open luggage on the sofa, with only but a couple of things of her late choice that didn’t even fill it half way.

As Analiese searched on for something else, Giovanna spotted a peach colored tutu with beautifully decorating flowers that hanged like real fallen ones.

“Ooohhh, this is really cute,” she appointed, picking it up and putting it over herself to try out.

“That’s one of the first things I ever created, I was ten I think,” Analiese mentioned as she settled on another pair of jeans, pants and shirts.

“You should bring it!”

“Definitely not! That would be an embarrassment!”

“Then can I keep it,” Giovanna excited, a begging and pout that Analiese couldn’t resist.

“Sure, in fact, there’s a lot of things around here that I can give you.” And thus a new search started for Analiese’s entire old princess, flowery and pastel wardrobe that she had no use of anymore.

It was in that moment that Ludwig headed downstairs, Friedrich cuddled on his shoulder and chest, his head swimming with ideas on what to cook with Feliciano out for the rest of the day. He instantly stopped when he saw the mess, clear distaste in his eyes, trying to remain calm as to not disturb Friedrich. He directed a questioning gaze to the camera, obviously expecting Isabella to explain.

“She’s preparing her luggage for Paris."

“But she’s not leaving till September,” Ludwig raised an eyebrow.

“She really wants to be prepared!” Giovanna added to defend.

“You shouldn’t even talk, vatti. When we have visitors, you expect us to have our rooms ready weeks before they come,” Analiese reminded with a groan and instantly Ludwig knew he shouldn’t mention anything else.

“Ooohhh, look, look, look at these pretty crowns!” Giovanna found a whole pile of them.

“Oh mio dio! I used to love these!” Analiese leaned down and began picking some of her favorites, memories running through her head.

She held up a blue one of roses, a laugh and a smile reigning on her face as she recalled a particular memory. “Do you remember these, vatti?”

Ludwig had to lean close to recognize, then being tainted with the same smile, one Friedrich seemed to look with question to its suddenness.

“What is it?” Giovanna questioned.

“It used to be my own flower crown,” Ludwig admitted.

“You had a flower crown!” Giovanna couldn’t believe.

“Of course, I wore it whenever I was invited to special tea parties with the fairy council.”

Analiese laughed.

“The fairy council!” Giovanna kept getting impressed.

“Yes, I used to make the best tea parties, with plenty of treats no creature could deny. I had fairy queens, wizards and princes join me every afternoon,” Analiese told like it had been a real honor and it only made Giovanna’s eyes sparkle the more.

“Now,” she turned, facing Ludwig, with a look, a positioning, and the blond knew what was coming, but he smiled and prepared himself none the less.

“Welcome, Sir Ludwig of the Anikis. You have been chosen as an honorable guest to partake in my tea party, bow to receive your crown as a gift to your presence,” Analiese bellowed with the true grace of a princess in her voice.

To their surprise, their alpha father actually took an exaggerated bow, holding Friedrich still tightly to him as he offered his head. Giovanna rolled in anticipation on the coach, while the camera vibrated with Isabella’s chuckles.

“This is the crown of impossibility, to your feats in the pass of Bayka, for defending against a billion forces that no other would have been brave enough to face, and thus giving you passage to my table of tea and candy!” Analiese called with now more clarity, that childish tone and stuttering all but gone, yet somehow Ludwig could clearly hear the echo of those past memories, of back when Analiese was just his little fairy princess. 

Analiese placed the crown, her shinning smile still large, her movements with elegance, truly like a crowning taking place on a fantasy meadow.

“Truly an honor to be at your table tonight, your highness. I shall remember this forever and keep it in my heart the next time I heed into a fearsome battle!” Ludwig bellowed with just the perfect act, despite the years being as true as if they were still stuck in those moments of imagination.

“Arise powerful knight, arise and show yourself proudly!” And Ludwig did, closing his eyes, extending the arm that wasn’t holding to Friedrich and letting himself show as if heavenly lights were shinning on him. 

“I have been baptized by the princess! Long live the princess! Long live princess Analiese, who I shall always defend proudly with this!” And he turned away in finalization like he was off to battle…when seriously he just really needed to start working on dinner for tonight.

He left the girls to laugh at the living room, just as stairs echoed with the last members of the house.

“Did we really just miss that?!” Alessandro was disappointed.

Behind him followed Heinrich and Aldrich, who seemed to be tired with whatever they had been doing upstairs and wanted some unwinding time downstairs somehow. They moved around the mess and settled themselves in a couch, looking curiously among the room for something to do.

“You did, but…” Analiese noticed that there were indeed several other flower crowns and so an idea hatched. Before they knew it, Analiese was celebrating all kinds of ceremonials for each of her brothers and sisters, with different stories and feats, different flower crowns that none had a problem with wearing proudly, especially Giovanna, who began twirling and dancing, going over to Ludwig so her father could compliment it endearingly as he beat some eggs and prepared the broiler. Even Friedrich was given his own, one of purple edelweiss that made him quite the charm that had the whole family cooing.

“I feel so pretty,” Alessandro said as he took a selfie of his own green carnations.

“Are we going to stay with these on for the rest of the day?” Heinrich wondered, looking rather reluctant even with his own aqua blue anemones.

“We have to! Papa has to see us like this!” Giovanna was so excited she was still jumping all over, now trying climb up from the back of a couch, Alessandro and Heinrich having to help her.

“He’s not arriving till dinner though,” Aldrich knew, adjusting his own pink pansies.

“Well we’re all here, might as well entertain ourselves with something,” Analiese suggested as she went back to choosing things for her luggage. She really needed to clear the living room before their papa arrived.

“I was actually meaning of taping another story for Friedrich,” Isabella reminded.

“Oh, what’s this one going to be about?” Giovanna wondered excitedly, already sitting and settling herself to hear over Heinrich’s lap.

“About how Analiese and I came into the picture.”

The person in question perked up, with an interested and eager smile.

“Awesome, we can add some things ourselves,” Alessandro suggested.

“We were two and five,” Heinrich reminded.

“Still,” Alessandro shrugged.

“Come on, tell it, tell it, tell it,” Giovanna insisted.

“I want to add too,” Aldrich suggested as he came close for the camera to capture as well.

“All right, we’re all going to be a part of this then?” They all nodded, ready. “Okay, so…”

 

Ludwig arrived with a heavy loud break that announced his arrival to the entire valley. He couldn’t care about it as he rushed out of the car and into the house.

His twins were now two years old, which was just as long as he had been in the house, more or less. They worked with the plumbing, had working bathrooms, normal kitchen appliances and could finally cook in the comfort of their own home. His room with Feliciano was still a process, as well as with many other ones in the house, the outer appearance and yard, also the living room and terrace, which they held in favor of working on a garden. But they weren’t in any hurry, the twins had their room, the halls and stairs were sufficient enough to run upon, the living room had space for them to play since it didn’t have furniture or decorations yet, with doors and windows open to let a perfect breeze enter from these beginning summer days. When he entered, he quickly spotted the three loveliest people in his life, all sitting together on the floor as they worked on finger painting a large paper. Ludwig couldn’t bother to care about the mess the three were in, didn’t care to interrupt whatever Feliciano was trying to teach them, he easily scooped the three in his arms to sway, all laughing and letting themselves be spun in this sudden show of excitement. Both the boys were now shouting and trying to scream out for a repeat, but that was as much as Ludwig was willing to give them. He took each one into his strong arms, raising them both so he could leave kisses to both their heads, which they continued to giggle at, extending their little hands to wrap around him, wanting more of this love, but there was someone else waiting his turn. He placed them on the floor, taking Feliciano into a spin for himself, dipping him out nowhere for a lighting kiss. It got the twins losing interest and heading back to their drawing, just as Ludwig and Feliciano departed from their kiss, the smaller rather disorientated, not expecting such an outburst from Ludwig.

“Caro, is everything all right?” He wondered.

“Remember that company I told you about and how they were opening a base in St. Moritz?”

“Sì, you mentioned the owner used to work with you dad."

“They gave me an interview today! They were really impressed and instantly gave me a position as an assistant supervisor!”

“They did! Without worrying about-”

“Yes! They didn’t care! They just wanted my work! It’s only a couple minutes’ drive from here, nine to five, weekends free and the pay is incredible!” Ludwig even shook Feliciano in his excitement.

“Re-re-rea-really?” Feliciano couldn’t believe. More pay meant not depending on Vash and Lili constantly, on paying their bills on time, doing more for the still constructing house and especially for their toddlers.

“Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes!” And they spun once again, both laughing and shouting, which definitely had the boys staring, lost and wondering why their fathers couldn’t just come back down and join them in their painting.

“Boys!” Ludwig called, picking them up once again in his arms as he separated from Feliciano leaving him breathless. “Tonight we are celebrating. Anything particular you want to eat?”

The boys began wondering and thinking, hands moving and trying to show what they wanted, their speech a small one that hadn’t developed enough.

“Marinana!” Heinrich managed to word.

“Pata!” Alessandro added.

That was code for spaghetti.

Ludwig rolled his eyes. Definitely the sons of their omega father. Never the less, the two began their preparations for Feliciano’s special spaghetti, along with a salad, a mix of nuts to choose from, and a strawberry shortcake Ludwig offered to make for dessert. Feliciano settled with preparing the table, the boys running around and offering to help as best as they could, and of course Feliciano let them place the plates, grab some flowers from the terrace to put in a vase and even choose from a collection of animal shaped cups for all to have their drinks in. A domestic and beautiful scene that couldn’t stop the smile Ludwig wore as he watched over all the things currently boiling and cooking.

As he turned to mix the sauce Feliciano had prepared, his gaze caught a calendar stuck to the refrigerator’s side. In it Feliciano marked the days he was supposed to finish paintings and other projects to deliver or send to customers, as well as activities and festivals going around the area, sure to take the family or just Heinrich and Alessandro. Ludwig also recognized the days of his heat, noticing that in fact Feliciano should be in his heat for most of the day and even tonight. He must have taken suppressants, for he worked as normally as ever with their twins, laughing, picking them up to kiss, caress and play.

He knew it wouldn’t last long though, surely by tonight the effects would be gone…which meant they could have other ways of celebrating.

 

They really hated how loud the springs of the bed could be, but oh how delicious it was for both to move like this. Feliciano did try hard to hide the sudden high moan, trying to control himself by holding tighter to the headboard, giving a stronger bite to his lips, but it weakened every time Ludwig thrust just in that spot, joined with a kiss and a bite to his body, which only made him weaker to be responsive with his voice, with his very body, which only worsen the squeak of the bed. Feliciano really hoped the twins were too deep into sleep to hear anything, because oh god had he needed this, oh god how he craved to have Ludwig worshipping and giving into his deep lust for him, driven themselves in ecstasy and reach that made them forget everything else outside of the warmth of this room.

Ludwig released inside him and Feliciano joined him, a throw, a force that made Feliciano forget, focused better on the heights, on holding, on their fall just being with each other, kissing, caressing, whispering sweet words to enunciate their love and want.

How they wished it could be more everlasting, that they could cherish every drop, every force of their bodies against each other, no matter if this was already the second time this night.

A little knock interrupted it.

“Vatti! Papa!” They could recognize Alessandro’s trembling voice, just outside their door, a begging that made their naked bodies sit between the mess of sheets.

“Caro, what’s wrong?” Feliciano called back.

“Scared,” he could only admit, Ludwig and Feliciano knowing he was jumping in impatience, knocking once again, wanting instant entrance. It all meant a night in which their son would want to sleep with them, no matter the actions they had committed in that very bed.

With heavy sighs, they had to stand, having to be quick in getting rid of everything.

“Okay caro, just wait a bit while we…nightmare and monster proof the room,” Feliciano excused, which earned a chuckle from Ludwig as he picked new underwear, riding of the sheets and getting new ones to place. Feliciano dressed himself in his own underwear, turning a humidifier that worked on riding any air from the heat he just shared with Ludwig. It was a loud and annoying sound that surely alerted Alessandro, but yet he laughed at what his young imagination concocted.

“Is the monster sweeper!” He identified, proud.

Feliciano laughed, but he joined along, “yes it is! It’s helping to drive all those fiends away!”

Soon enough everything was hidden in their own drawers, new comfortable sheets and pillows, the room clear of any stenches. Feliciano could unlock the door and in an instant Alessandro dashed inside, with direction to Ludwig, who was sitting on the bed preparing for rest. Alessandro jumped on him, Ludwig catching his little body easily, swaying and beginning to kiss him, even blowing into his belly, which earned a loud laugh.

Ludwig cradled him like he was a baby again, bringing him forward to lay on the bed, cuddling into his chest, his strong arms wrapped well around him, practically covering him from Feliciano’s dreamy gleam.

He closed the door once again, joining the bed’s side, laying a last comforting kiss on Alessandro’s head for rest, another on Ludwig’s lips, before settling…but not too much, he knew what was coming next.

There was a reason he left the door unlocked, for Heinrich would surely wake up with all the sudden noises, sit up, notice that his brother was not in his bed, look around, find that his room was too dark and scary, stand, run along, and…the door opened, his little head peeking in. Ludwig and Feliciano welcomed him with trusting smiles, Feliciano opening his arms and he ran towards them in a shelter from any of the nightmares their imaginations could create. Feliciano cradled him just as tightly, settling him in the center alongside Alessandro, cozy still in Ludwig’s arms, already drifted. Heinrich was well on his way on joining in the same dreams, settling, but making sure that his papa still held him, still protected him. Feliciano lay a kiss on his head giving him that promise, smiling and apologizing to Ludwig, but he didn’t mind, he wore a similar smile, one hand going to caress as Heinrich’s hair, while Feliciano did the same in Alessandro’s.

As sleep began to reach them, they made their hands reach, giving each other those same caresses and hold, a last touch before the four of them settled together.

 

A month later, a shining day of July, all curtains were pushed aside to let that heavenly gleam into the art room. It was a long one, filled with all kinds of canvases, some leaning against the wall, others on different easels, on tables, along with paint, clothes, models and any other materials Feliciano thought could work with whatever he would be creating. His current fascination was in painting the very view this room offered on this perfect day, the skies in a beautiful blue, the hills, the trees and the grass a lively green going along with the flourishing of flowers that gave just the touch to give Feliciano the precise inspiration.

He assumed it was done, there was really nothing else he wanted to add, everything that was showed to him that day was replicated well in this painting in enough splendor and detail. It was in that moment that Heinrich stood from his own finger painting with his twin brother, walking over to join his papa’s side, probably expecting to be held, to play and hope that he lets him paint in one of the canvases.

“What do you think?” Feliciano asked to the two year old.

Heinrich eagerly nodded, wanting to touch with his very freshly painted hands to show his content.

“No, no, no, no, what did we say about papa’s paintings?”

“No painting papa’s painting,” he remembered, but still swinging his hands about, Feliciano having to hold them in sweetness.

“That’s right. If you want to paint, you do so in the paper I place for you, all right?” He moved a strand of his waves apart from his bubbly face, showing him a deep smile, a contagious one that Heinrich responded with his own, laughing and moving his hands about again, painting Feliciano’s face wanting his touch.

Feliciano let it slide, he laughed along, coating Heinrich himself in some of the paint in his own hands and it only made him laugh the more.

“Come on, you boys need a bath if you want to help with making dinner.” And Feliciano picked them both up to run them some water, letting them play with some of their water toys as they waited.

Everything was going as normally as he thought, the medicine he had taken that morning should have been sufficient, maybe it was the water that was running, maybe he just hadn’t had good enough sleep, maybe he was just really hungry, but he felt a grand dizziness, a nausea, bile running up his body, making him shiver, making him groan and pain. His sons must have noticed, for they perked, wondering, coming close and trying to see what was going on with him. Luckily the toilet had been right there and in an instant Feliciano was vomiting all his pains and problems into it, trembling and red, having the twins cry and embrace their papa in worry.

“Papa! Papa! Papa!” They panicked, wanting to do something, but no matter what they shouted, how they jumped and moved, nothing would get their omega father to be well.

“I-It’s-It’s all right, it-it’s nothing, papa is all right, just a- just a little sick.” The dizzying, nausea rising up, the bile once again hurled into the mess that was already given.

The twins continued to panic the more.

 

“-thank you so much,” and Ludwig finished the call, returning back to the dining table, having forced Feliciano to only have some soup and water for dinner after the events.

“Mrs. Natale said she’ll see you tomorrow. I’ll ask for a day off and stay with the twins,” Ludwig decided.

“You…you shouldn’t.” Feliciano felt rather disappointed, letting his hands be joint by Ludwig’s.

“Feliciano, you’ve been like this the whole week. I’m worried you caught something and I want it to be dealt with as soon as possible.”

“It can’t be… that bad.”

“None of the medicines and treatments have worked. Just go tomorrow so we can be more in the clear.”

And it was decided, both hoping that it wouldn’t be anything dire.


	6. Video 3.2

“Aww, they’re both so adorable. I’m glad to see them growing healthy,” Mrs. Natale pointed out as she went through the pictures Feliciano had brought.

They both laughed and ogled, Feliciano pointing and describing the events of the pictures. There was one of them jumping on Ludwig and Feliciano’s bed, another of them sliding through freshly polished floors in their socks, both hugging their favorite dog plushes, another of them laying down in a nap on the couch with Ludwig and finally of them covered in flour and sauce as they helped Feliciano in making a pizza.

“They’re really so nice and cute, the most darling little boys I have been so blessed to have,” Feliciano said as Mrs. Natale returned the pictures, now his turn to look dearly to them.

“I see you’ve also really progressed with the house,” she pointed, looking over her clipboard as she analyzed what could be wrong with Feliciano after his checking.

“Well it’s not done yet. There’s still a lot of rooms that need to be fixed along with the outer appearance, but we have done more than enough to be able to live there. Right now were focused on the garden."

“Really? What kind of things are you growing?” Her eyes squinted over the analysis, slowly conjuring an idea.

“Lots of things! We’ll have all kinds of colorful flowers and trees, but were also going to grow celery, cabbages, plums, apricots, strawberries, cherries, raspberries, oh of course tomatoes! And Ludwig really hopes to make the best batch of potatoes!” Feliciano was incredibly excited, practically jumping on his seat.

“That’s absolutely wonderful. Are you planning to sell any of the growths?” She jotted down.

“Probably not. We really want to use them for our recipes and give everything to our family,”

“All five of you?”

“Of course all five of us and m- wait, Mrs. Natale, we’re actually four.”

That’s when she finally dispatched her eyes from her clipboard, sure about what was going on with Feliciano. “Feliciano, you might be pregnant again.”

In an instant Feliciano stilled, along with all words and thoughts as Mrs. Natale simply continued to tap her clipboard with a pen.

“No-no-no, I mean-no! I-I can’t, Ludwig and I always use protection, it can’t be possible, we’re really careful about it,” Feliciano tried to excuse, tried to make the idea something far off.

“Did you use protection for your last heat?” She asked straight on, which instantly caused Feliciano to widen, to shock himself to silence, biting his lip hard and looking away.

“Oh god…no…no we didn’t,” he groaned, a hand rubbing into his forehead, slowly slumping until he was buried in them, feeling the heavy fault run through him, irking him for the rather large mistake they had made that night of celebrated bliss and freedom.

“Heats tend to do that, after all, you lose a great amount of structured consciousness and forget about anything but your mate, these are normal occurrences,” she tried to ease, for Feliciano continued to wallow in the shield of his hands. “But it’s not sure.” She wanted to keep a light as she went through a drawer, picking a brand new pregnancy test and offering it towards Feliciano, who peeked out, a new kind of nervous shaking through him that made him hesitant in reaching for the small device.

 

How could everything be so calm? How could the sky be blue, the sun shine, the air of the hills surely a refreshing one for the summer? He was worrying with all kinds of storms inside him. It was a surprise he could keep the car on the road as he drove, his mind in other dilemmas to be able to focus on the curves and bends, for once not escaping from the asphalt or nearing his car to a high cliff. Ludwig would be proud if he saw him now.

Ludwig…oh god, he was supposed to tell Ludwig, his grip harshening on the wheel, thinking of just continuing on ahead and taking more of the wonderful views of the area to avoid the coming situation.

No, he had to face this, parking the car in front of the house, too late to run away, no more ideas to help him escape from this. He thought of perhaps waiting, give them some time to really focus on the garden they wanted, and when he would start to show…maybe then he could tell him. Yes, that was a good idea, a sure one until he got down from the car and spotted the house.

The form was still so awful, the colors dreadful and in the process he got reminded on how the basement was still a mess of debris, how there were halls still coated in dust and cobwebs, how there were unfinished rooms, slated and disgusting that Feliciano didn’t bother to enter as he focused on the twins’ room and his own that he shared with Ludwig. No…they really had to start working to prepare for this new one.

He raised his hand to his stomach, the beginning form of his next baby giving him that enough assurance to lock the car and make his way inside.

He was met with a nice breeze, the slide doors to the back open, enough of a convey to let him know that all his family was outside in the back. He met with Heinrich first, who sat by the terrace, eyes looking about to the shine of the day, an occasional tap to the toy drum he had on his lap. Feliciano took him by surprise, holding and kissing his head as welcome.

“Ciao, caro, where’s vatti and Alessandro?” He questioned.

Heinrich first pointed to his brother, who was pacing around a tree, picking up rocks to then throw over the cliff, testing to see if he could make one drop in the river down below. He then pointed near to one of the growing patches they had for tomatoes, where Feliciano began to see movement, Ludwig surely working on caring for the potatoes. He was burying and checking the ground, dressed appropriately, even with a sun hat that made him quite the comical sight. Feliciano gave a laugh as he settled Heinrich back on his sitting, continuing with his toy drum, then going over to Alessandro to greet him with his own hug and kiss, aiding him with the throw of a stone to the cliff…didn’t reach the river either, but Feliciano gave him the assurance to keep trying before he began walking down the slope, between the rows of growing tomatoes, finding Ludwig at the end of one of them, rubbing away some dirt that managed on his face. He was so focused that he hadn’t even noticed Feliciano’s approach, slow, silent, even his breaths controlled, his mind still trying to think of the proper words to say.

“It’s coming along great,” Feliciano thought he could compliment, finally breaking him from his dedication for their eyes to meet, with instant smiles and a relief to be back at home together.

“They are, might have something for next month."

“Hmm, what dishes do you think we should make then?” Feliciano wondered, already his mouth watering, his stomach rumbling with hunger.

“Mashed potatoes definitely,” Ludwig started, feeling that very hunger as he began to dig into a new pile to plant.

“With some ricotta,” Feliciano dreamed.

“Rosemary roasted,” Ludwig continued to suggest.

“Potato gratin.”

“Those potato bites you made last month.”

“Oh yes! And um…speaking of things we made last month…um…Mrs. Natale figured out the problem.” And suddenly he was nervous again, a hand coming to rub at his arm as Ludwig gave him all the attention he needed, taking a sitting on the ground to hear.

“Yes?” Ludwig questioned after Feliciano let the silence elongate.

“Um…” Feliciano gripped on the hem of his shirt, pulling it as if to hide more of the nonexistent bump.

“Was it a virus?” Ludwig thought he could help.

“…No."

“An allergy?”

Feliciano shook his head.

“Is it anything dangerous?”

“Uh…no."

“Feliciano, just say it then. It can’t be anything so worrying as to-”

“I’m pregnant,” he proclaimed, loud enough to interrupt and make clear, a reach that was enough for Ludwig to be claimed by the silence of the valley as the words repeated on his head, ringing and alerting while in his physical he only remained in his sitting, no immediate reaction, no joy, no scorn, a lost expression that Feliciano couldn’t decipher.

He slightly flinched when Ludwig took off his hat, a hand rising to rub out the sweat that had accumulated, rare in such a fresh day. He raised his head to meet his eyes with Feliciano once again, not yet with a clear response, his mind surely thinking of a line of duties he already had to fulfill even with only minutes of knowing the news.

“Um…uh…” he tried to say, but he really couldn’t show a proper response.

No, it wasn’t anything dire, it wasn’t horrendous, it wasn’t bad, it was just the looming threat of having to raise another child when they were still dealing with twin toddlers. If it wasn’t for the nervousness, their situation, a reminder to Ludwig as he took a glance to the still rebuilding house, he surely would have been excited, would have twirled Feliciano in the spot, kissed him all and immediately call out the announcement to the twins and even to Vash and Lili next door. But no, all Ludwig could think about was the impending new work, along with the weight of his new job and still dealing with a pair of twins. He sighed…at least they had money now to not worry, but they would still have to make some adjustments.

“We’ll…start working on the room next to the twins’. Smaller, but the window has a seating and an incredible view to the valley. If we don’t stuff it with too many things, I’m sure it would be comfortable,” Ludwig already recommended with a huff as he stood, trying to rub out any prominent dirt on his clothing before he began moving forward.

“A-all right, that be…perfect.” Feliciano tried to smile, but he was still rather nervous. It slowly stilled as Ludwig came closer, with an adoring and trusting smile that Feliciano joined with in his own, letting him lay his hands on the grasps of his hips. His thumbs rubbed gently on his stomach, enough of an assurance of Ludwig beginning to accept and already love. Feliciano smiled at the growing promise, raising his hands to caress at his face before bringing him down to a kiss of beginning for this new child.

They went back into the house, Heinrich following obediently behind, eager for some cooking, while Ludwig had to pick up Alessandro, who kept edging himself to the cliff no matter how many times Ludwig told him against it.

That night, while they dined on Greek salad, salmon and of course Pizza, Ludwig and Feliciano didn’t stall long enough for the boys to know.

“Boys, your papa has some important news,” Ludwig declared with a teasing smile as he helped Heinrich take a better bite of the pizza slice he held.

Even while still munching, their mouths slowly being stuffed with food, their brown eyes gazed up with curiosity and eagerness, attendant to when the words would leave their papa’s mouth.

Feliciano was nervous, but also excited, twirling his fingers in a way that only made the boys anxious, jumping along in their seats along with Feliciano wanting to instantly know. “Boys, you’re going to be big brothers.”

At first they were both confused, Alessandro looking over to Heinrich knowing he was the bigger brother. It was a word that they only understood for each other and didn’t so for another being.

“Boys, your papa is going to have a new baby,” Ludwig helped to clear and then their faces alighted, jumping, shouting and even screaming.

“New baby! New baby!” They repeated, standing from their seats and both running over to their papa, hugging and looking for this new baby.

“No, boys, this baby won’t be arriving for a while, it’s just starting to grow in my stomach,” Feliciano explained, which widened his boys, looking over to the area as if they could already see hints of their new sibling. Alessandro poked as if hoping it could cause something, Heinrich joining along, but all it did was cause a fit of laughter to Feliciano.

“Another boy!” Alessandro though he knew.

“Boy! Boy! Boy! Boy!” Heinrich already wished as well.

“Actually, we don’t know that yet, it might be a boy, but it might also be a girl,” Feliciano continued to explain, and even so it didn’t dwell their happiness, their smiles, their activeness, even as they headed to sleep planning all kinds of games and things they could do with this new future member to their family.

 

Four months into yet another pregnancy, once again to the cramps, to the heavy weight, to the weird cravings (Fried cheese… he wanted friend cheese, accompanied by potatoes with eggs and artichoke soup), to the vomiting at any suddenness, the uncomfortable sleep and the extra carefulness Ludwig took with him that barely left him any kind of enjoyment. But there were sweet things, like Heinrich and Alessandro always laying upon his stomach expecting to hear the baby or catch some sort of movement, their mouths filled with gibberish of ideas that Feliciano smiled dearly to, rubbing their blond hairs until they found themselves napping upon the bump. There was Ludwig raising him to lay constant kisses on his stomach, whispering loving words to then give Feliciano kisses upon his lips.

Feliciano had to admit…he did miss those warm caresses Ludwig would give to his bump, as if tracing a message of love for their coming baby, a special kind of union every night that didn’t even let them sleep, wanting instead gazes into their eyes, of ever love and devotion.

A sonogram later, once again Feliciano held another image of the growing human in his stomach, gender and type told, which had Feliciano bouncing and with such a want to dance. He was currently comparing the images of Heinrich and Alessandro’s with this new one, trying to find similarities, if not the differences, still thinking if he should put them together on a wall or separate in other rooms.

Ludwig and him had just finished painting the new baby’s room into white, since Feliciano had ideas to paint over it and was already quite excited to start. Just last week they had finished with adding proper electricity to the room as well as getting a new glass for the window. Ludwig knew he would have to get started on making a new crib, as well as cabinets and sitting places, while Feliciano would start with making clothing, blankets and other fabrics they might need.

They had just washed away the sweat and force of the day, Heinrich and Alessandro tucked into bed, hoping that their ‘monster repelling’ night light would help them sleep for the night, to be able to calm as they made themselves comfortable in their bed, the dim of the lamp just enough as Ludwig read a book about caring for omega babies. He bought it that morning as soon as he found out that his next child was going to be an omega, a girl, news that had Feliciano shrilling, already thinking about all the kinds of dresses, bows, hairstyles and even little shoes he would place on her. He hadn’t been able to take his eyes off from the sonogram, smiling away even in the share of their bed.

Ludwig finished a chapter, placing it on the bedside desk to a halt, shutting the lamp, coming close to Feliciano and easing a hand around him to pull him close, both nuzzling and cuddling and preparing for rest. There was still a well enough moonlight coming through one of the windows, still making the sonogram glow, still not making Feliciano dispatch himself from it, now letting Ludwig intertwine his hand with his as they laid them both above his stomach.

“Yes, Feliciano, it’s a girl,” Ludwig repeated, laying a kiss of assurance on his head.

“I’m still so smiley,” he laughed, blushing and cuddling ever closer into the hideaway of his collarbone.

“Mrs. Natale told me she might be due on February,” Ludwig told just in case, since he knew Feliciano had been so ecstatic with the news he probably hadn't heard anything else the doctor said.

“Wouldn’t it be so cute if she was born a valentine’s day?” Feliciano dreamed, putting the sonogram well between them so Ludwig could have his gazes as well.

“Wouldn’t it be annoying? What if she doesn’t like valentine’s day."

“Then we’ll make it her day!” Feliciano proclaimed. “It shall be…” and then he realized, “…what name should we give her?”

“You want to decide that now?” Ludwig raised an eyebrow, rather tired at the moment to think of names.

“Of course! So I can sew it on all her clothes and you can already carve it to her crib,” Feliciano pouted as he laid himself upon his chest how he could with his growing bump.

“But…I don’t have any names…”

“At least we’re only choosing one this time."

“It was easier to choose two,” Ludwig had realized.

“Come on! There has to be something." He fell upon the bed once again as he stared to the ceiling in thought. “Um…Rina,” Feliciano started, but it didn’t hold the right spark.

“Feliciana?” Ludwig suggested, but even he sounded unconvinced, more so as Feliciano gave him quite the glare.

“No, hmm…Viola?”

“Theresa?”

“Graziella?”

“Dina?”

After surely the hundredth name they gave up, their minds tired and wanting nothing more than to sleep.

“This reminds me of something…” Ludwig suddenly remembered, earning a curious gaze from Feliciano as he settled back into his side. “My great aunt was a writer, and she had a knack with names and knew just the perfect one to say that would have one picking in the first mention. She knew well their importance and how they can set the path for one’s life and suggested the ones that she knew would hold meaning to my other family members. Most of us were named after names she had suggested, even I was. It was obvious what to pick for me when she knew about my mother’s liking to Beethoven.”

Feliciano chuckled. “Do you think if we called her she would tell us?”

“No…I don’t think so…”

“…Is it because…?”

“Oh no, she’s dead right now.”

“Oh…” And Feliciano eased, consoling Ludwig with a trace of his fingers on his chest. “I’m sorry,” he saddened.

Ludwig chuckled, placing a kiss on the top of his head in assurance. “It’s all right, I was really young, barely remember her own funeral, but her stories were repeated throughout the family, I even read some of her books, she was an amazing writer.”

“That’s really cool, do you have any of her books there?”

Ludwig leaned out to check through his mini library at the bottom of the floor since they haven’t properly built or placed a bookshelf. He took out one with a cover of a regency era woman looking into the growing field, a beautiful array of flowers in the hold of her hand. The tittle read ‘Libertà’ by Analiese Beilschmidt.

“She set this one in Italy, a woman living through the rise of Napoleon and how she stands against the expectations of her family to take her father’s business once he dies.”

Feliciano’s eyes widened as he took it, instant interest to the idea, the cover a beautiful painting, tracing his hands as if he could feel the flowers, but what caught his attention the most was the beautiful name of the author.

“Oh, Ludwig, she had such a pretty name herself, I like it so much,” he caressed the name, a wanting, a choosing, already he could imagine himself calling a little Analiese, sewing and carving it, kissing and hugging her, smiling as he brought a hand to trace his stomach.

“You do?” Ludwig raised his eyes, starting to realize that yes…for their own coming daughter…it would be perfect.

“Mhm, really, really, really much…” he began to tap his fingers, a decision as he gazed to Ludwig, the blond smiling back to his brunet lover with that very decision.

“Analiese it is.”

They sealed it with a last kiss for the night.

 

Analiese was born a February 15…just after valentine’s day, in fact, Feliciano had broken water just when they were heading out of Vash and Lili’s place for the night after they enjoyed from a small exchange and drinks between friends they knew. The boys had just turned three, that night remaining with Vash and Lili as Ludwig and Feliciano hurried to the hospital for another birthing process. Like for Heinrich and Alessandro, Ludwig had been there, holding his hands, assuring him with countless words and kisses until finally they could hold their newest addition, a gorgeous little girl that had a great similarity to Feliciano. When Lovino saw her the first time, he felt himself transported in time, like he was holding a little Feliciano once again. Heinrich and Alessandro had first been introduced to her four days later when they returned from the hospital, both curiously looking down to her, poking and pushing to play, but there was nothing the little newborn could do but wobble, cry and reach for her parents.

This was not the new playmate they were expecting and were rather disappointed, even more so when their parents started giving her more attention as she was a mere baby. It resulted in them forming tantrums, shouting, screaming, even banging items unto the floor until Ludwig and Feliciano could find some play time, or they were grounded, pouting and crying the rest of the day in their room. It was hurting, neither had wished it would come to this and so Feliciano, who was the one who spent the most in the house since Ludwig was off working, spent most of the time trying to find new activities where he could include now all three of his children. He guessed the best way to do this was by using the art room, a place he had made enough memories and fun with both his twins and surely this new daughter would find her own in the future.

He brought the three of them that morning with excitement for a surprise, both his twins jumping and running while his baby girl was well tucked in his arms, looking curiously about the room, occasionally letting her hands flap in intrigue as she saw a painting she particularly liked.

“We want to see the surprise!” Alessandro already shouted not being able to take the waiting any longer.

“Of course, my dears, come with me.” And so he brought them all to an area which he completely covered in white paper, from floor to ceiling, all kinds of paints already presented to them in the center. The boys were still rather confused, wondering why their father created a squared space of only paper, but one idea made them imagine, made them hope to climb every corner and paint it in purples, blues and yellows.

“I want the three of you-” and Feliciano placed Analiese on the ground, who by this time was already five months old and was still a learning crawler- “to paint all of this, completely!” He presented, extending his arms to mean all the complete available space covered in white. He was asking something so rare that the twins still looked on confused around them, perhaps thinking still if indeed it was possible, that they could really do it, that there wouldn’t be shouts or angry glares, that they could actually paint all of this.

“Everything?” Heinrich questioned, as Alessandro neared to get a red jar, while Analiese was taking a purple one to test her holding and then shake.

“Yes, everything you want, as long as it’s this space here,” he pointed to where the paper ended to make it clear. “But you have to let me join, as well as your little sister. Can you let us?” He kneeled towards them with a playful smile and the twins laughed, jumping and nodding.

“Can we help her?” Alessandro wondered, already coming down to help Analiese open that purple jar, dipping a finger to create his first stroke.

“Of course, and teach her as many things as you want, but be careful with her, after all, she’s just a baby," he said it as Analiese just decided to dip her whole hand in the jar, ecstatic at the colors, waving around and already letting drops fall on the paper.

After this activity, no part of themselves was left free from the spray of color. All kinds were splashed throughout themselves or either the papers, with countless of free designs that depicted all around different things. Analiese’s was just a mess of trails as she crawled around, of testing handprints that she moved across to create her own waves, the ones she did on the wall done with the help of Heinrich carrying her how he best could. The twins’ took a better formation of houses, cars, trees, the sun, moon, stars, rivers and even flowers, or sometimes just a random mixing as they simply enjoyed from the coolness of the paint and trying out new colors. Feliciano was the only one that held a paintbrush, filling in some beautiful more intricate details into already present things. Sometimes he would throw it all away and just jump and dance along his children, creating equal messes and soaking himself in all different kinds of colors.

They found themselves in this world for the majority of the day, only to break when the twins heard a very familiar car approach.

“Vatti! Vatti! Vatti!” They shouted, not caring at all, drenched in fresh color as they ran away from the line of the paper, into the wood of the floors of not just the room, but also of the halls and stairs.

“Heinrich! Alessandro! No!” He shouted, but it was already too late.

He heard the creek of the door opening, of the boys’ laughter and Ludwig’s German “What in the world?”

Feliciano groaned, knowing surely the scold he was going to get. He gazed down to Analiese, who was beginning to crawl away from the space of the paper wanting to follow her older brother’s, but Feliciano wasn’t going to worsen the mess they already created.

“No, not you, come on, we have to say hi to vatti,” he prepared as he picked her up, a tight hold as he walked and saw the colored footsteps printed across the floors, the walls, the stairs, and as he came down, Ludwig.

The boys didn’t care about the paint they wore, they only cared about receiving proper attention from their alpha father, and so they hugged and kissed him, drenching his suit in colors. The look on his face was strained as it tried to hide a shout, his ultimate fury, but at the same time a smile and a chuckle to the loving welcome of his sons.

When he looked up, he had to hold himself from doubling over as he saw his own mate and baby daughter stained just the same way as his twins.

“I…thought it was a good idea,” Feliciano excused, and surprisingly it earned a laugh from Ludwig, ending it with a deep sigh, swallowing all anger to instead focus on the sweetness and endearments.

This was the family life he now had.

“Clearly only you could come up with something like this,” Ludwig rolled his eyes, but offered his arm, wanting his greeting from his daughter now.

Feliciano was slightly hesitant as Analiese was still drenched in her own paint, but Ludwig’s suit was ruined enough, any add from his little girl couldn’t do anymore damage. So Feliciano offered her, much to the excitement of the baby, who began fluttering and even laughing, quickly accepted into her alpha parent’s embrace, and the first thing she decided was to wrap herself around…his face. She laughed and cuddled away, staining Ludwig’s expression in all the colors of her own, of course not minding, in fact, she even began to spread her hand around his cheeks and jaws, his face her canvas now. Feliciano and the twins joined in the laughter this time, and Ludwig could do nothing but remain with his eyes and mouth shut so Analiese wouldn’t paint those too.

 

In one of the walls leading to the terrace, Feliciano hanged pictures of that day they were all colored to completion. There was one they had Lili take of all of them together at their living room, one of Alessandro and Heinrich holding a baby Analiese, the three timed perfectly to smile at the picture, and then one of a younger Feliciano staining Ludwig’s cheek the more with his kiss.

“-and look what we have here!” Analiese shouted, Isabella moving the camera in her direction as she proudly presented the mantle of the table they had prepared outside for the night.

The very mantle was that drawing the four had made long ago, now covered in plastic to hold and use as a decoration but also as a token of remembrance.

“Okay, that, but now…look at this!” And she presented the decorations and plates that were presented.

Flowers and tea sets galore in pinks, whites and browns that spoke of fairy elegance. The dimming of the lights were just enough, organized to eloquence, the free night behind them giving a freshness that somehow made everything more cozy and magical.

As Isabella taped, she already wanted to take her seating, to join from the food and sweets they had prepared.

“Wow, this is actually amazing,” Isabella complimented, honest wonder in her voice.

“I know, I did it, so it should be obvious,” Analiese smirked with a proud gleam.

How haughty was her sister. If only Isabella could show to the camera the roll of her eyes.

She showed the rest, helping in preparations, bringing in plates, settling bouquets around, all with their flower crowns still proudly on their heads.

“He’s here! He’s here! He’s here!” Giovanna shouted, running back to the terrace.

“All right! Come on guys, come on!” Analiese fretted as she brought everyone to organize themselves, making sure everyone’s flower crown was perfectly balanced, especially Friedrich’s, laying one last kiss of completion to his little head.

They all silenced as they focused instead to the sounds of their omega father entering, dropping the keys in a near counter, hesitant steps as he surely wondered where the rest of his family was in. He found himself following a beautiful glow, and indeed what a beauty he had met.

“Ta-da!” They all shouted together, even Ludwig joined in, with a smile to match the rest.

Feliciano laughed and ogled so hard that he was almost left breathless. “Ooohhh, you all look so gorgeous!” He complimented, nearing Aldrich and letting his hand trace one of the petals of his crown as he smiled in greeting to him before placing a kiss on his head. “Like-like…fairies!” He even flapped his hands like one and earned a chuckle around them all.

“And papa! Look at Friedrich!” Giovanna wanted to point out.

That’s when Ludwig presented him forward, the youngest child with his own flower crown and dressed in a light pink footsie. Feliciano almost cried from how adorable he looked, cooing so harshly it was barely understandable as he held him, bringing him close to gaze on at how enchanted he looked.

“Oooohhh, Il bambino più adorabile di questo mondo!” He brought him close to rub their noses together, then taking him into a tight embrace, letting him feel all his warmth and welcome. “But wait? Is there something special today? Don’t tell me it was one of your birthdays?” He showed worry.

“Na’, we just felt like it,” Alessandro assured.

“I found my old flowers crowns and I thought it be nice to do something different,” Analiese said.

“It’s very nice, I really like it. We should do something like this more often,” Feliciano smiled as he rocked Friedrich on his chest, letting his eyes wander around every detail they gave, the flowers, the crystals, plates, cups, utensils, and of course the mantel of such special meaning.

“But, we cannot let you pass until we add one more detail,” Analiese reminded, just as Heinrich gave her the golden flower crown, which she presented with an epitome of grace to Feliciano, bowing even like she was showcasing to an array of distinguished guests.

“Sir Feliciano of the Larath, a most important guest I would want in my party, bow to receive your crown, a well deserve gift of my loyalty,” Analiese proclaimed.

Feliciano chuckled, but very dutifully did he bow in the preparations he used to make back when Analiese was a child.

“This is a crown of peace, for your feats in stopping the war of Karsa, with nothing but kindness, understanding and even bravery.”

Feliciano smiled in proud earnest, just as Analiese placed it on his hair in perfect match, admitting that it went really well with her omega father.

“A splendorous party you have prepared, your highness, indeed what an honor it is to be here. You have my loyalty and command,” Feliciano smiled, still kneeling in his position.

“Arise powerful prince, arise and show yourself proudly!” Feliciano did so, with movements of elegance, yet such a vivid expression that betrayed the orderly way he raised.

"What a chance! What a wish! This crown shall show how indebted I am to you princess Analiese. Long live the princess! Long may she reign on the beautiful fairy kingdom!” And they all burst out laughing, but not without joining in applauds as Feliciano bowed like he had just performed before an adoring crowd.

“Come on, I’m hungry and I want to eat!” Aldrich announced, all agreeing and finally taking their chairs.

They passed around plates and bowls of salmon, steak, lentil salad, pastitsio, cookies, trifle, pudding and meringue roulades. No such thing as silence was given to them in the table, all kinds of conversations were instantly shared around them, a small little feast of laughter, talks and union, just the right thing for Isabella to tape lastly.

“Hey, we didn’t talk about how you came,” Analiese suddenly reminded.

“Don’t worry, I’ll make it the next one, right now I just want to eat and focus on talking to you guys,” she smiled before she shut the camera to instead enjoy from the moment.


	7. Video 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, I deal with other things how I can. I hope you enjoy!

Isabella was currently messing with the waves of her hair. She twirled her finger around them, she blew, she pulled them back, she swung and whipped, all for just random necessity. Their little dachshund was resting well beside her, comfortable in a little nap after the walk she was given along with the other dogs.

“You’re now one month old Friedrich, and how did you celebrate it this morning? Well papa took you to the doctor and afterwards you’re going to visit Herakles, Kiku and Marianna, who really want to see you, but they live up in Davos which is an hour’s drive from here, so you’ll be gone for most of the day. Right now we have the house to ourselves and since papa is so responsibly smart, guess who he left in charge…” That very person walked by her room, in his hold a great supply of drinks and bags of chips. They were so much that they piled and were in danger of falling over, but Alessandro had some unique talent to keep them all together in an impressive balance.

“Sup,” he tried to greet with his teeth hanging to a smaller bag of popcorn.

“Are you really going to cram yourself and watch South Park all day?” Isabella hadn’t thought he’d be serious.

“Papa is not here, there’s no baby, Heinz went to Bern, I don’t have anything to do for the university ingression and I have the room to myself… I want to make use of it,” he winked and finger gunned before he continued down the hall to his room to start, the door shut and off was Alessandro, forgotten to the world.

“He’s doing such a great job,” she rolled her eyes, taking a standing to make her way through the halls and downstairs, taping what each of the available brothers and sisters were doing.

Analiese was on her laptop, cellphone on her ear as she scrolled through social media, surely with the latest gossip, chattering away in French to a friend from Paris. Aldrich was going through one of his animal books, hypnotized by the pictures to notice his older sister passing by. Giovanna was coloring on her books, singing songs and waving excitedly to Isabella as she passed by.

“The house is rarely this quiet and perhaps I should make use of it and finish those books uncle Roderich gave me for my last birthday, but I really wanted to record something for the diaries,” she told, reaching the terrace screen. She moved it aside to bring her to the open air, showing a rather misty day, not leaving much space for sunlight and blue to enter, cold and with hints of coming rain. It was summer.

She took sitting in one of the couches there, with a huff, a stretch and even a sigh as if ready to take a nap. It was siesta time she knew, yet she promised herself not to fall to that temptation, not when she had to do this recording, not when there were the books and even that jog around the hill afterwards.

“So, last time we were talking about how Analiese came into the family, and since we’re going in order it’s only obvious that I tell mine now.” She took her usual story telling position, placing the camera upon a stable surface that could keep its lenses only on her and the imagery she was to create.

“Before anything, I’d like to point out that I was one that papa and vatti actually planned to have… on baby nostalgia and slight jealousy…”

 

The building was at the town center, of old and picturesque design in yellow, with a clock tower standing high and going along with the beauty of the Swiss scene. Feliciano parked the car in front, in heavy breaths, watching to the ordeal of parents arriving to bring their kids to their first day of kindergarten. Some hugged to their parents tightly not wanting to let go, others cried and others ran off with a simple wave in great bravery. Feliciano wished it could be that easy for him, that the worry wasn’t constraining his breath and accelerating the pace of his heart. He looked to the back, first meeting Analiese, his now one year old daughter biting and holding to a duck plush toy of hers, managing a bright and loud laugh once her eyes met with her papa’s. It was beautifully relieving for the situation.

At either side of her sat the twins, both wearing equal black sweaters, school bags ready on their backs, jeans and shoes specifically chosen for what they were to start. Their gazes remained on the bustling of people, on all the children their age, going on alone into the building, as they should, as their vatti and papa had told them that morning.

“Come on boys,” Feliciano decided, popping open the door to them help them in their dismount, taking Analiese in his arms as the twin took slow and nervous step in front of him, Feliciano’s legs constantly bumping into their backs.

“Boys, don’t feel so scared, this is a very nice place where you will learn many things and make many good friends,” Feliciano tried to excite them, if enough to have them continuing, albeit with nervous hands constantly tugging at their sweaters, as if trying to hide their presence from being there. The closer they moved, the closer they came into peeking the entrance, to bright colors, shouts, running, different kinds of teachers welcoming the children inside or talking to different kind of concerned parents. It was all wonderful…but also intimidating, they found themselves each hugging one of their papa’s legs, not wanting to be released alone into this.

Perhaps it wasn’t a moment for Feliciano to giggle at such adorability, but his twins were indeed scared and refused to let go with an assured tightness, even hiding their faces.

A young woman spotted them, recognizing the boys and the omega father from the pictures they had sent with the inscription. She readily came forward understanding the predicament, baring a gentle smile and a kind wave to which Feliciano replied with his own sweet grin and eyes.

“Hello, you must be Feliciano Valenti, I’m Claire Gotti and I will be your children’s teacher and caretaker,” she introduced.

“Wow, look Heinrich, Alessandro, she’s your teacher! Doesn’t she look so pretty and nice!” He impressed, rubbing on their hair enough confidence for them to peak and nod in admittance. She was indeed pretty and looked very nice.

“Ah, and whose Heinrich and Alessandro?” She leaned and tried to ask them as nicely as possible.

The both of them looked extremely alike and now Feliciano was wondering if accepting Ludwig’s idea to dress them in the same black sweater had been the right thing to do the first day of kindergarten.

The boys were still too shy, Feliciano had to intervene once again.

“This is Heinrich,” he introduced, petting his hair while also pointing to the purple little bracelet he wore. “And this is Alessandro,” he pointed to the yellow bracelet. He was lucky to have gotten this idea before heading out, knowing how people tended to confuse them, especially when both were wearing the same thing and people were meeting them for the first time.

She nodded and winked Feliciano’s directions as a thanks to the little detail. “Well it’s very nice to meet you Heinrich and Alessandro. I can’t wait to play and learn so many things with you two. Our class would love to have you both and would love to meet you as well. You’ll have all the toys and games to play with, plus lots of things for arts and craft. I’m sure you’re going to like it here,” she persuaded just enough for the boys to slowly release, indeed coaxed with all those wonders that they wanted to be immediate part of…but it meant letting go, it meant going alone, away from the hold of their family for the first time.

They slowly began to ease away, but a tight grasp continued on their papa’s leg, showing the still clear hesitation.

“Go on, go on,” Feliciano had to instill, leaning down to push them slightly, both continuing on their steps, looking upwards to their new teacher, awaiting for her to take them to what she promised.

“I’m so excited and I can’t wait to start,” she offered both her hands for each to take, and she inspired enough confidence for them to let themselves, for her to begin in her pull away, for them to begin their entrance, Feliciano watching with a proud smile as he held more caringly to Analiese in his arms, who looked on confused as to why her older brothers were leaving…and why did her papa look kind of sad?

Well…there they went. It was surely time to go, to turn around, make his way to his car. It was just as Heinrich turned.

“Papa…papa…PAPA!” He shouted, he cried, he ran in a dash towards him, holding with a harsh grasp to his legs, keeping him in place, not giving him the chance to turn away. “Papa! Papa! Papa!” He continued to shout as heavy tears began to fall down his face, reddening, jumping in great anguish to keep him there, to bring him along if he had to.

“Heinrich, Heinrich, my little Heinrich,” Feliciano had to lean down to soothe in whispers, to try and wrap an arm around him to hug close and pat while the other held to a very confused Analiese. “You have to be brave, you have to do this without me.”

“No! No! No! No! I don’t wanna!” He kept insisting as he kept a tighter hold, practically choking at the hold he kept of his father’s neck, trying to climb to even wrap his legs around his waist.

“Heinrich please,” he continued to soothe, kissing his head, but it only worsened Heinrich’s need in staying, to soothe himself more into his neck and hold.

“No, no, no,” he continued to insist.

“Heinrich…” Feliciano sighed, letting himself caress him, have his hold, his staying, until he could continue to speak. “You have to start learning to be with yourself, to be a big boy, meet your own people and find your own fun. You won’t really be by yourself, you’ll have Alessandro with you and Miss Gotti and whatever new friends you’ll meet. It’s only for a bit, I’ll be here to pick you up as soon as it’s time to go.”

He felt him ease, the tears subside, the blowing only those to relax, to sit up, rub away his tears as he tried to find speech. “Promise?” He wanted to be sure.

“Of course mio bello, I would never abandon you in such a way,” he truly made sure, kissing his head, a trusting caress on his back and one last hold truly conveying that promise.

“Now…do you think you can be brave enough?” Feliciano gazed to his face, the red now fading, and although his eyes watered, he tried to be strong enough to not let them fall, to release himself from his hold, rubbing his hands in what seemed some last preparation.

“I’ll be here at two to pick you up,” Feliciano made sure with one last smile, one Heinrich managed to bloom with his own, the grin showing the glow of a Valenti. 

“Now go on, be brave, have fun and make some new friends,” he excited, seeing as Heinrich flew off alone, reaching slowly to take Miss Gotti’s hand. Feliciano sent her an apologetic expression and shrug, but she smiled in understanding, having dealt with this kind of situation enough times.

Now they could go in, the three turning and ready for the warming glow of their class…or so they had thought.

It was Alessandro’s turn to turn as they came closer, as he could feel the cooling of the classroom and the presence of their father leaving.

“PAPA!” Came his cry, came his running this time, Heinrich started crying again, oh boy.

 

After more convincing, finally the boys were in their classroom, Feliciano had Analiese on her car seat and he took his seat on the wheel, taking a breath of relief, a relax over the driver as he tried to get his calm back.

The car was too silent, there was no excited chatter, none of the boys trying on games and faces to make their younger sister laugh, no jump, no wondrous glamour as they would point to everything that took their interest along the road. He left his boys alone for the first time, not believing that they were already in kindergarten, all while his baby girl swung her feet in her car seat, trying to babble a song. Time just became too obvious that moment, he began to miss their presence, recalling how it felt like it had just been seconds ago when he held them both as little newborns in his arms. He looked down to that emptiness of his arms now…and that’s when the tears fell, that he noticed that they were already coating his cheek, in damp, in redness. The whimpering and moaning started, and before he knew it, he was once again over the wheel letting this new misery pour out, all while Analiese looked on to him with question, trying to move and see what could be the matter. He let himself that moment of tears, wondering what he could tell Analiese to calm her down, thinking about heading home and playing with her while he made them some lunch. Yes that thought made him feel slightly better, he could raise his head once again, give a smile to his young girl while he tried to rub off the tears. She smiled still just as beautiful, as eager for a game despite and Feliciano was going to give it to her.

It was then that he noticed the car parked next to his, a blond spiky haired gentleman surely whimpering, crying over his own wheel, holding tightly and surely trying to regain some sense. Feliciano lowered his side of the car window, trying to get his attention.

“Hello, sir,” he called, with a slight trace of his own sadness, one that the other instantly caught, relating and letting his green eyes be showed with a continuing fall of tears, his pale and freckled expression reddened but welcoming to his worry. There was no embarrassment in showing his tears when the other felt just the same.

“You left somebody too?” Feliciano asked.

“Yes…my son. He’s so big now, starting kindergarten…I…I miss him so much.” Back to the whimpering, new tears forming.

“I left my twins and…” he tried hard not to, but there he broke, a sob starting, “I miss them already too!”

“They grew up so fast!”

“They were once so tiny!”

“You could cradle them!”

“And hug all their bodies tightly!”

“And now they’re here!”

“All grown up!”

“We’re losing them!”

The rest were unintelligible exchanged sobs, tears and wallowing, leaving Analiese lost as she looked between them trying to find an answer.

 

“Aw, she’s an absolute beauty. She looks just like you. Are the twins anything like you too?” The man who Feliciano now knew as Arthur asked after having cooed at the young baby girl enough, who had a comfortable sitting on her omega father’s lap.

They choose a quaint little café in the town, a gorgeous one that both had learned to adore in their time in St. Moritz, sharing good coffee and sweets.

“A little from both their parents, but since they’re both blond everyone quickly assumes Heinrich and Alessandro look more like my mate,” Feliciano rolled his eyes, earning a gentle smile from Arthur.

“Heinrich and Alessandro? Such sweet names. Is your mate Swiss?”

“Oh no, he’s German, but we’ve been living here for about five years now. What about you?”

“Alfred and I came about five years ago as well when he got a transfer, shortly afterwards Aaron was born.”

“Ah, so this cute little Aaron must be as old as my twins."

“Indeed, perhaps they’ll have their chance to meet today.”

They had indeed hoped so if it meant play dates where they could speak as lovely as they did today.

 

Feliciano returned home as soon as he got his message from Ludwig, who was heading his way back after work and getting some groceries. Both wanted to meet to start getting ideas for dinner, arriving at the same time and quickly greeting in their usual kiss and heading inside. In the process of throwing stuff to the table and placing Analiese to crawl around the rugged floor with her toys, Feliciano told Ludwig about what had occurred on the twins’ first day of kindergarten.

“-so they started crying and well…” Feliciano was hesitant as he looked through the cards of recipes.

“Don’t tell me you started crying too,” Ludwig chuckled as he placed some items on the fridge from the groceries.

“Okay so…I did,” he had to admit, which earned a beautiful laugh from Ludwig. “And I met this nice Englishman today who left his son as well…we started crying together at the parking spot.” How easily he could make Ludwig laugh, smile and glow so delightfully.

“Feliciano, it’s only kindergarten, they’re still our little boys,” he convinced, letting his hands rub on his shoulder, a quick kiss on it as he then left to place things in other cabinets.

“Still, it reminded me of how much time is passing, how one moment they’re little babies and the next they’re going to kindergarten. One day they’ll be going to the Gymnasium and then they’re off to study and I won’t be seeing them as much and I’ll be crying some more.” His eyes watered yet again as he was decided on the recipe, saving the little box and showing the card to Ludwig, who nodded in acceptance.

“And we’ll be enjoying every step and process of watching them grow into their own men. It’s a kind of blessing that shouldn’t receive these tears, especially after we’re an important part of it,” Ludwig assured with his own confident smile, a brightening enough for Feliciano to receive and give him the same trust to his words.

“And since we’re cooking lasagne, I’ll go pick some tomatoes from the backyard.” Ludwig already began moving ahead.

“I’ll watch.”

They moved forward to the terrace, sliding open the door, Ludwig taking the route down to the slope of their hill where their garden was while Feliciano gazed from the terrace, leaning occasionally as he tried to take better sights of all the flowers, bushes, trees, fruits and vegetables they had grown, all beautiful and ready for their picking. The rush of the wind was a nice comfort, occasionally interrupted by Analiese’s babble as she played with her dolls, adorable, making Feliciano smile as he took occasional glances to her sitting in the living room.

Analiese mistook his leaning as her papa about to leave, and thus, trying to stop him or join him, she pulsed herself forward, standing, her little legs creating her first move towards him, wobbling and trying to call him. Feliciano, as he turned back to her, expected from her babbling to see her having crawled her way forward, instead saw her walking… she was walking…walking!

“Mio dio!” Feliciano loudly exclaimed, eyes widened as his expression and body, truly impressed and for a moment not noticing the way Analiese spread her arms hoping for a holding. She jumped, she continued with her sounds and yet Feliciano was too shocked to move his hands from the widening of his mouth, staring on to the sureness Analiese now stood in.

“What’s wrong?” Ludwig quickly wondered as he came back up to the terrace holding the tomatoes, almost dropping them as he met his little girl standing, giving him a smile and instead walking forward to him expecting his holding if her omega father wasn’t going to.

“Oh…” Ludwig understood, yet giving her a smile to show his pride.

“She’s walking! She’s walking!” Feliciano couldn’t believe, new tears brimming.

At her omega father’s sudden sadness, she moved forward to him once again, more intense in her jumps, in her arms extending, wanting to give him comfort and to just be in the warmth of his arms. This time Feliciano kneeled, taking her, raising her and giving her all the intensity of his love to her through a tight embrace, decorating her curls and little head with his kisses and she grinned and laughed.

Ludwig saw just how alike Analiese was to Feliciano, a copy of smiles that could be seen clearly…if Feliciano wasn’t crying.

 

Many days on, Heinrich and Alessandro were slowly getting used to their kindergarten scheduling, especially after Feliciano started creating these wall arts for their calendars, exciting them and making them eager for their days of play at their school. No more tears, no more shouts in the morning begging for their return home, just a usual of smiles and jumps ready for whatever new activity.

As their routine became more established, as their presence was better known, Heinrich and Alessandro began making their own friends, of their age, interest, with games to play and toys to share. Between those many was Aaron Jones, who was to turn five years old and thus invited his new friends to come over to his birthday party at the Jones-Kirkland residence. Arthur insisted in the invitation for Feliciano to come, along with Ludwig who he hadn’t met yet and was eager to as Alfred wanted to properly meet them both.

Alfred and Arthur held a property as large as Ludwig and Feliciano’s, their green space more grounded than their own slope. It was perfect for the party, the space and opening enough for all the running, screaming and playing children who threw all kinds of things and let them remain on the ground for others to then use for their own games. The parents remained sitting at the terrace, enjoying in chats, food, drinks and laughs. Ludwig and Alfred got along splendidly, both talking of their love for dogs and how they hoped to adopt one soon to add to their own families. Analiese remained around Ludwig, running around him as other parents or teenagers cooed at her beauty and played what games they could with her. Ludwig kept a faithful watch on her as well as the twins who were with the rest of the kids running around the field. Feliciano helped Arthur with the food (It was direly needed), chatting and meeting other parents with who they shared their advice and experiences.

“Your house is wonderful. How much time did it take you to fix it?” Feliciano asked, loving the garden Arthur had told him he worked hard on.

The blond was confused at first, but then he remembered how Feliciano told him that his own house had been in ruins when they had first gotten it and how they were still working diligent to fix it to this day.

“None, it was just like this when Alfred and I got it.”

Alfred and Arthur were older, they had secured jobs, expenses and connections when they came to Switzerland…unlike Ludwig and Feliciano…who were nineteen and eighteen at the time, with nothing and having to deal with what they could get in their situation.

“How many rooms does the house have?” Feliciano quickly asked, not wanting to waddle in his uncomfort.

“Five.”

“Isn’t that a little too much for just the three of you?”

“Well um…” Arthur blushed, he had to show a grin, he couldn’t hide in his glee, “it won’t be just the three of us for much longer,”

“Huh?”

“I have something to announce later, then you will understand.” Arthur quickly changed the topic on other matters and Feliciano went along.

By the late afternoon, Aaron blew his candles after the birthday singing, joined in applauses, the little boy’s smile and then his congratulation from his own parents, coming to kiss his cheeks, holding him and posing for pictures. It was as much as the commotion had died down, now everybody eating their slices of cake, when Aaron remembered something.

“Dad, didn’t you say you will tell me about a special present by now?” The boy was truly curious, his big slice of cake almost forgotten in his wondering.

Arthur smiled and thought it time, calling out to Alfred to come near and for all to listen.

“I have an announcement to make about a change that is to take place, about…a new person that will come into our lives.”

Everyone had perked, but none more strongly than Alfred’s and Aaron’s.

“Aaron…you’re going to have a sibling, and Alfred, you’re going to be a father again, I’m pregnant.”

Everyone of course delighted in big smiles, Alfred screamed as Aaron did and they both came crashing into him showing their excitement, blabbering words that Arthur couldn’t understand. The room erupted into applauses and congratulations, Feliciano joining…but his excitement wasn’t as intonated, in fact it was weak, it died out while all were still in the midst. To Ludwig’s surprise, he didn’t barge into the family to wish his own congratulations, blessings and wishings, he stayed by his side, with a downcast in his eyes and a sadness that shouldn’t be present in a festivity, especially after that kind of announcement. Ludwig placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, pulling him closer, a kiss on his head hoping for a kind of relief, but Feliciano only leaned into his embrace with haunting thoughts still.

Alfred and Arthur had a beautiful house they got as it was, with a perfect view, standing and space. They didn’t rebuild it from the bottom, they didn’t hold it, they didn’t spend sleepless nights wondering if a piece of the ceiling could fall over their heads or their child’s, they didn’t have to exhale stinks of age, they didn’t have to worry about income or nightmares of it not being enough. The Jones came here with a touch of family, with no disgraces, no secrets, no rebellions and no disappointments. Aaron must probably know and see his grandparents often, gets invited to family reunions and can confide in them for anything. Heinrich, Alessandro and Analiese only had two uncles and four cousins of blood, the rest those who were close and could remain in their trust as to be family.

Heinrich and Alessandro were four years old and surely would remember the ruin they lived the first years of their lives, already running with laughter and confidence of what they could take leading away from their parents. Analiese, one year old, walking, jumping even as she took from the excitement around her, beginning her lead, her growth, if even with faithful watches from her parents and her heavy dependence on them still.

Soon they would have no babies at home, whatever time they had of them as such now gone and ready for a new phase.

They should be excited, they should be smiling, proud that their friends were soon going to have such a wonderful chance, and yet Ludwig and Feliciano soured, they envied for all that was to pass and of what they could not have anymore.


	8. Video 4.2

The three were already in deep sleep. Analiese drooling away, Heinrich and Alessandro at either side in their own lean towards her. They seemed to be guarding their younger sister, hands holding tight to her car seat making sure they could keep a protective hold. Feliciano couldn’t keep his eyes away, a sweet smile full of adoration towards the scene. It had been the only time he wore his usual smile in the day, Ludwig noticed. No matter the turns, the views, the stars, or how the moon shone tonight, nothing could keep Feliciano’s eyes away from his three children. Ludwig knew, for he had kept watch waiting for when Feliciano would turn to properly speak to him. Once he finally did, with a sigh, finding for once relaxation in the ride, in the familiarity of reaching the rise to their valley, Ludwig arose the question that had been on his mind since he saw the drop on Feliciano’s expression when Arthur gave the announcement.

“What are you thinking about?” He simply asked as he turned a harsh curve.

Feliciano was hesitant, embarrassed, biting his lips so adorably, hands fidgeting and trying to word himself correctly.

“I know you said we shouldn’t worry about this, and they are in fact still…children and babies but…. they’re growing up.” That sadness, that turn once again to their three kids, taking to heart their full cheeks, little noses, mouths, feet, and their innocent calm. “I miss…having a baby around the house.”

“Analiese is just one…and I still consider her to be my baby,” Ludwig actually pouted, part of him refusing to admit that she was nothing but for now.

“But she’s already walking! She soon won’t want me to hold her anymore."

“You don’t know tha"

“It happened with Heinrich.” And that memory still hurt him deeply, how his oldest twin happily ran off the moment he learned, wanting this new testing so much he wouldn’t dare let either his papa or vatti stop his thread, pushing them away to keep exploring the halls of the house by himself.

“And yet he cried and wouldn’t let you go that first day of kindergarten,” Ludwig reminded and Feliciano knew he shouldn’t be smiling like he did, not when he actually wanted his babies to grow and learn to depend on themselves…but never stop loving them, never stop those childish laughter, wonders, babbles, their glow in their eyes whenever they saw their parents do something other worldly for them.

“Like I’ve told you before, yes, they will grow up, but we will be there to see it happen and I can assure you,” he let go of one of the hands on the wheel, taking Feliciano’s in his, a squeeze warm in love and promise, “that they will always love you and want to give you all the hugs and kisses you want, no matter how old or how far they go.”

Feliciano smiled the sun, bringing his other hand to entangle with that same one. “As they will you,” Feliciano assured him, brining Ludwig’s hand to his lips as a thank you for his words.

“I don’t know about that."

“Don’t say that!” Feliciano slapped his shoulder playfully. “Of course they will!”

“You know I can be a little harsh sometimes. I’m always the one punishing them and making them cry whenever I start glaring.” It hurt to cause this to his own kids, but they still needed to learn some discipline.

“You’re just watchful and want the best for them. They will see that as well. You’re an excellent vatti and I’m so lucky to have you as my mate and to have given you these wonderful children,” Feliciano smiled in definite assuredness, looking back to them, to the shine that made Ludwig glow along with the moon and then out the window, to the stars, to a new idea, to a new wish.

“And…I would give you more,” he threw, he tested.

“More?” Ludwig still questioned what was becoming obvious.

“Ludwig…” he had been thinking about it for some time now, distant in his mind, perhaps a daydream, perhaps just a far-off wish, but these last few days just assured him his want. As he looked back to the three children, just as Alessandro gave an adorable stretch trying to make himself more comfortable. Feliciano couldn’t dream of anything being more perfect than the love he gave to his children…and how wanted more of it to give.

“I want another baby,” he finally said, wistful, dreamy, an undertone of seduction that was enough to bring colors of different emotions to rummaged through Ludwig’s body. The grip on the wheel became tighter, but he still drove on dutifully, a smile, a glow in his blue eyes to match along with the stars in Feliciano’s love stricken mind. He breathed, he gave that image in his mind its own life. Another baby, another child, twins, a girl, now an extra to add to the family’s laughter, union and adventure. Quickly he agreed, quickly he was already planning, adjusting payments, room plans, accessories, toys and he hadn’t even given Feliciano his answer yet.

“All right,” in just an alighted tone that showed to Feliciano just how excited he was himself about this new decision.

 

Feliciano had marked his next heat with the symbol of daisies on the wall calendar, an interesting thing that had Heinrich questioning as he gazed to that particular filled square.

“What’s that for, papa?” He asked, pointing, immediately expecting his answer.

Feliciano had just finished picking some real daisies from outside for the table when he passed by, not minding in stopping, leaning and offering a nuzzle into Heinrich’s little head.

“Your vatti and I will be making something really special that day,” he explained innocently.

“Special? What kind of thing?” Big brown eyes still begged to know.

“You’ll see in due time, Tesoro.” He kissed his head lastly before settling off, humming a joyous tune and leaving his Kindergartener still as confused.

 

Alessandro and Heinrich were well tired out, spread and snoring loudly in their beds. Analiese, with a good lullaby, soon fell into the same slumber, Ludwig tucking her well into her cradle, blankets over her and a last soft kiss to the curls on her head. She gave only but a silent laugh as a quick reaction before the comfort overtook her and settled her into dream. Ludwig made sure to close the door gently, leaving him and Feliciano to the loneliness of the dim lighted halls, silent, a beautiful night, Feliciano’s medicine wearing and about ready to have him craving and begging. Once Ludwig was sure nothing would stir, he turned, his hand outstretched, enough invitation in his eyes and Feliciano accepted and fell into it.

A kiss, breathless, arms wrapped tightly around each other, starting their exploration, their growing warmth, leaning, Ludwig daring to dip his love. In that lost of their leaps to their growing union of heat, Feliciano raised his legs to wrap well around his hips, strong, maintaining him stuck to his mate as he then moved them to the privacy of their room, their door closed and leaving their passions only for themselves, in that room where they created and brought life anew.

 

“You’re…pregnant?” Feliciano was incredulous.

“Two months in. Antonio and I found out just a week ago actually,” Lovino admitted, quite a calm, a huge contrast to the time he found out he was to have Augustino. Feliciano gave a short chuckle, remembering his nervousness, shouts, his refusal to stay seated and not pull his hair out.

He watched through the kitchen window, where his nephew, now nine years old, acted out some sort of pirate heist with his younger twin cousins. It seemed Analiese played as some sort of treasure since she wore all these fake gold chains and jewels and Augustino refused for Heinrich and Alessandro to reach her. Augustino kept her well distracted with her plush dolls and cooing from time to time.

It was all so adorable and it brought an incredible kind of warmth that not even the coffee he drank could give. “I’m so happy Lovi, and I can’t wait to already meet this new little one. Let me know if there’s anything I can do to help. Ludwig and I will get you gifts and-”

“You don’t have to do that, Feli. Antonio and I can deal well enough. You and Ludwig could use all that extra help for yourselves,” he seemed to scold. “Really, twins and you still settled for having another one. Only you two can be crazy enough as to have more,” he groaned unaware and Feliciano had to hide his revealing smile into his coffee mug.

“Is that the reason you came to visit?” Feliciano was curious.

“In part…but Augustino had insisted. Antonio and I got some days off, and well, to be honest, I really wanted to see my nephews and niece.” He smiled so genuinely as he saw them play, something he did more often after having kids.

“And…” he blushed, “I guess I wanted to see you too.”

Feliciano was just about to shout and jump over the table to hug his adored brother, but it was just as Ludwig and Antonio entered, both holding the bags from their grocery shopping.

“I assure you we got everything!” Antonio declared.

“What took you so long though?” Lovino still maddened.

“You didn’t exactly give us a short list,” Ludwig reminded.

“And he had to make constant checks." Antonio seemed clearly annoyed by the many times they had stopped in the aisles just so Ludwig could stay all the minutes he wanted counting and striking.

“As long as we get to have some bruschetta and polenta, we should be happy and relaxed,” Feliciano tried to calm before it could get too rowdy.

Someone was about to comment, but it was interrupted by Augustino’s sudden rush into the house, quick in taking a grasp of his parents.

“Papa, papa, quick, you have to help me!” He pleaded.

“What’s going on?” Antonio questioned, already worried.

“Heinrich and Alessandro are almost to the jewel, and with it they can get the treasure from me! I need somebody to be a merman and a vicious pirate!” He tried to pull them already into their roles outside.

“Augustino, Tesoro, we still have to-” Lovino tried to release, but his son’s grip was too strong and determined highly.

“It can wait! This is an emergency!” Augustino fretted.

Antonio was the first to give up, sighing but continuing with a smile, the thing to have Lovino join in as well with his own grin outside to the backyard, ready to play and star in the children’s fantasies. They left behind Ludwig and Feliciano to chuckle, organizing the groceries and getting what they would need for their soon big dinner.

“Lovino told you?” Ludwig asked, organizing some ingredients on the counter.

“About being pregnant? Yes, he did. Antonio told you?”

“Mhm, he got embarrassingly excited.” Ludwig still grinned recalling how Antonio seemed to fly through the aisles.

Ludwig started mincing some of the ingredients, while Feliciano took to watching his family by the window, still finishing his coffee, not holding back his grin at all the occurrences, such as Heinrich claiming their pretend jewel, Alessandro defeating the vicious pirate, Lovino mock crying over the death of his beloved, Augustino still strong and defending the treasure, Analiese. The toddler was still too distracted in her dolls to really pay notice on what was going on around her.

As Ludwig thought he did enough of his part, knowing that he should leave the majority of the cooking to the Mediterranean, he washed his hands and quickly dried, to have them ready to wrap well around Feliciano, resting his head on his shoulder to leave kisses on his neck. Feliciano gave some moans, moving his head back to give more skin for Ludwig to take, his hand then grasping and cradling the gold of his hair. Ludwig let his own hands traverse Feliciano’s torso, taking in the softness, his voluptuousness, his delectable form that had him tempted to take him upstairs while the rest were distracted. It suddenly stopped once his hands reached his stomach, taking the newly formed bump, adjusting himself and settling on swaying with Feliciano on the spot, reddening, happy and excited.

“Did you tell Lovino?” Ludwig asked, his hands now dear on that small little bump, nothing noticeable to others yet.

“I didn’t know how to,” Feliciano admitted.

“Why?”

“He’s pregnant too, Luddy. He’s excited, he’s happy, I feel like I’ll only be taking his spotlight. He deserves to be getting all that attention.” He didn’t mind, besides, it wasn’t like he had any other family members to tell this to and celebrate…Lovino did, let him enjoy from those festivities and praises.

Ludwig sighed, “he’ll find out sooner or later.”

“We can wait a bit more.” It was decided, silence between them as they saw the little show through the window.

It was enough that they were happy, that they were expecting, and that joy can be radiating in the shelter of this house.

 

The video zoomed at an old picture, specifically that of a newborn baby wrapped well in her blankets and beanie, in peaceful sleep, all her little details caught perfect to the point that it somehow made Isabella feel awkward. The photo was dated May twelfth, only a week after she was born. It was framed in one of the many walls decorated with pictures of the family, right next to one of the very first day she had arrived to the house. In that very picture she was surrounded by the twins, helping Analiese to carry, at the time, their newborn sister.

“You were so cute…why didn’t you stay like that?” The camera shook as Isabella slapped her sister’s shoulder for the comment.

“What are you talking about? My bella is a bella always.” Feliciano came down that instant, a tired Friedrich in his arms, embracing his girl and placing a warm kiss on her head.

“That reminds me, why was it that you named me Isabella?” she asked curiously.

“I always liked it. Told myself I would have a little girl with that name. Sometimes I wonder why we didn’t give it to Analiese."

“No, I like having it!”

“Then it was destiny that made forget at first.” Another kiss and he was off to sing a lullaby that could hopefully get the baby to sleep.

“So yes, I was planned, in a time where almost everybody else was having babies."

“Are you talking about how you, Clara and Rose were born practically at the same time." Alessandro just had to peek his head in out of nowhere. Isabella decided to ignore him, turning the camera and herself away from his direction.

“The rest of us were mistakes!”

“Hey!”

“How dare you!” Analiese shouted this time.

Isabella in turn laughed.

“Hey guys, guys, guys, guys." Harsh rushing footsteps echoed across the halls and in quite an odd excitement did the eldest appear, wide in his stance and such a large smile on his face that most thought was surely hurting him.

“What the hell is going on that made you this excited?” Alessandro questioned.

“I made a map!”

The rest just stared on wondering what could be exciting about that.

“Just come on!”

To have their brother practically skipping the halls in excitement, they were swayed to agree and go see it.

As told, Heinrich had set up a giant map of Europe, small squares showing other places around the world, different places pinned with notes in a beautiful cursive writing that surely only Heinrich could understand, which made this more confusing. The eldest brothers were all now seated, bored but expectant.

“Okay, so you have a marked map here. What for?” Alessandro was the first to question.

“You see,” and that very moment he took out a pointer, stretched professionally and pointing to the very first spot in Switzerland. It was the University of Zurich. “I have spent the entire week gathering and researching every possible university candidate for us and had organized it all with their curriculums, world rankings, best professors, opportunities, programs, accommodations, and distances, train and air fares for papa and vatti when they come to visit, ‘cause you know how sentimental they can get.” All the while he kept producing more piles of papers, sticky notes, even notebooks…and this was just for universities in Switzerland and Austria. As the eldest gazed on, they noticed universities of Germany marked, especially interested in Munich. He even marked many in Italy, the main interest being Rome.

“You included Iceland,” Analiese noticed.

“Anyone else surprised at the fact that he checked universities in Chile?” Isabella pointed.

“I even have South Africa,” Heinrich said happily, then picking his notebooks concerning that country.

“This is too much. My head hurts.” Alessandro was at the verge of crying.

“Oh come on Aless, we have to be this ready to make the decision for next year."

“Exactly…next year! It’s way too early for this!” He rubbed his hands over his face to hide it all. “I mean…I’m not even sure if I want to study outside of Switzerland."

“You could always go to Austria."

“…I’m not that fond of Austria as you are.”

“Not even for Marco?”

“Don’t drag him into this."

“What’s all this?” Ludwig questioned, entering the household after his usual routine at work. He settled keys, jackets and bags in their usual place before heading over to the living room to notice Heinrich’s display.

“Heinz is seeing what university he wants to go to,” Isabella said.

“Vatti, it’s crazy! He has everything planned to the last detail, and he’s including a lot of universities from around the world! He even has some from fricking Japan!” Alessandro maddened.

Ludwig remained still, an expression that none of them could really pinpoint as he took in the real details of what exactly his eldest had done.

“Son…this is amazing!” He ended up complimenting, coming close to really take a better look of it all. “Ah, I didn’t think you would add Germany. I almost went to study in the University of Munich,” Ludwig remembered, adoring every information, everything he wanted his son to be sure of.

“Really? What happened?” Heinrich was truly curious.

Ludwig went oddly silent.

“Alessandro, you should really take a look at this and make a choice for yourself as well. I believe your brother did an excellent thing by getting all of this.” He then started looking through Italy, taking a clipboard from the University of Bologna where Heinrich had circled all kinds of degrees he was interested in, even making guesses for what Alessandro and even Analiese would want.

Alessandro murmured something under his breath, rolling his eyes, standing and facing another direction, ready to leave.

“What was that?” Ludwig glared with scold.

“Nothing, nothing, I’m just going to my room,” he angered, stomping away up the stairs.

“You’re being a little immature, Aless. Come on, let’s look at the University of Venice now. I don’t think their sports program is good, but they offer a good culinary degree,” Heinrich followed behind.

“Geez, Heinz, can you seriously stop?” Alessandro shouted.

Their discussion continued faintly into their room, Feliciano catching parts of it as he made his way down, having just put Friedrich down for a nap.

“What’s wrong?” He asked those he met with in the living room, halting in shock when he saw the large preparation that had taken place in one of the walls.

“Amore, no, this is too much. You’re going to drive them crazy!” Feliciano pleaded to Ludwig.

“I didn’t actually do this,” Ludwig defended himself.

Feliciano couldn’t believe it, turning about, hoping that either Analiese or Isabella could tell him the truth.

“He didn’t,” Analiese said.

“Heinrich did,” Isabella announced.

Isabella was glad that she captured Feliciano’s startled expression in camera. He turned towards all those papers, universities, notebooks, sticky notes and pictures, in a way impressed, but in another heavily concerned.

“I swear I didn’t help him either,” Ludwig had to say before Feliciano got any other ideas.

“This is all Heinz,” Analiese made sure.

“Mio dio…” more did the concern show. “This is the most Beilschmidt thing I’ve seen him done.”

Both the girls started laughing.

“Excuse me?” Ludwig seemed insulted.

“Not in a bad way but…this is just something you would do, Tesoro.” The innocence in his mate’s eyes made him lower whatever angered impulse he was about to showcase.

“I-I-I…I’ve never been this excessive,” he blushed, looking away and hoping that Feliciano wouldn’t remember anything that could criminate him that moment.

“Caro…” Feliciano turned his face in such an adorable way that left Ludwig defenseless for what was coming. “You once made a binder this big-” he raised his hands to show it, even to his two girls there, “-scheduling and detailing everything leading to Isabella’s birth. You were so obsessed with it you didn’t even let me put clothes that weren’t on it.”

“It was precaution! Besides…it was just a binder.”

“Should I tell the girls what you did when you planned our trip to Geneva?”

Ludwig paled and froze.

“Oh god…” Isabella worried.

“What did he do?” Analiese turned curious, leaning and being ready to hear.

“He-”

“Please, please, liebling, don’t do this.”

Feliciano was his rare unmerciful self.

“He acted out what each of us will do in the trip and made notes in a notebook I actually still keep.”

“He…acted?” Analiese was finding it hard to believe. The image of their strict and large alpha father acting out people like Feliciano, Alessandro, Analiese, and Giovanna, was just something out of a crazy dream.

“What the hell, vatti.” Isabella hadn’t stopped laughing even at the expression of dread and embarrassment in Ludwig’s face. “How did he do it?” Isabella managed to say.

“I can show you…I still have the videos!” Feliciano raised his cellphone proudly.

Both the girls started shrilling and made way to look at the recordings, easily moving past Ludwig just in time for Feliciano to hit play.

The video showed him sitting upon his bed, with reading glasses, note and pen, Feliciano giggling as he tried to copy Alessandro’s speech. “If it’s not official Salzburg, I don’t want it. Now, where’s Café du Remor, I was promised Ice cream.” Which lead to Ludwig adding a schedule to visit as well as reminding to mark it on the planning map.

“But Vatti, it’s a green cat! I have to get the green cat!” “You have enough dolls” “Not a green cat!”

They all lost it with Ludwig trying his best at Giovanna’s squeaky voice, which was of course ridiculous. Their laughs haunted Ludwig and the continuing recording even more. This meant that even Friedrich will be a witness to this and probably mock him in the future as well.


	9. Video 5

The video started pointing to the ceiling, a couple of shakes before it was turned to the two figures currently laying on the floor. Isabella held the camera, somewhat uninterested while her younger brother lay beside her, still glued to his animal kingdom book. 

Isabella tried to distract him by placing a hand over the page he was trying to read. “Stop,” Aldrich groaned, shaking the book to get her hand off and get back to what he was reading. 

“He hasn’t let go of it since uncle Gilbert brought it for him from his last visit.” 

No matter how she stared, how she turned her face in different mocking expressions, nothing budged Aldrich’s eyes from the pages he read. 

“There’s the Atlantic walrus and the pacific walrus,” Aldrich read aloud, informing his sister. 

“Cool…are there any in the alps?” 

Aldrich went through some pages to find it out. “No.” He went back to where he left…somewhat disappointed. 

“Maybe they have some in a zoo here,” Isabella wondered. 

“I want to see them in their natural habitat,” he complained. 

“Well…we could go to Finland or Russia.” 

“Do you think vatti and papa will let us?” 

Surely not, but Isabella didn’t want to disappoint him, so she shrugged and answered, “maybe.” 

With slight hope he went back to reading, just as they were joined by two new members to their book club. Feliciano laid just as they did, upper body on the floor, legs on the sofa, Friedrich on his chest having a comfortable lay. 

“What animal are we reading about today?” He asked truly interested. 

“Walruses!” Aldrich exclaimed excitedly. 

“Ooohhh! You hear that Friedrich! Walruses!” He tried to excite him, but all he got were confused stares as the one month old continued to only stare at its papa. 

“Tell me! Tell me! Tell me!” Feliciano insisted. 

“Papa! They can weigh up to two thousand kilograms!” Aldrich excited. 

“Oh mio dio!” 

“And, and, and, they can live to be forty years old!” 

Both Isabella and Feliciano gasped. 

“And, and, they can stand as low as negative thirty-five Celsius!” 

“Ooohhh! Walrus are so impressive! Aren’t they Friedrich?” 

The baby still couldn’t understand. His interest then fell on the book his brother held, a little hand reaching to try and grab it. 

“No, Friedrich, this is my book! Papa can get you baby ones!” 

“You can always show him some pictures, Aldrich,” Feliciano suggested. 

“We can go to Finland and see real walruses!” Aldrich though he could suggest. 

“Finland? Isn’t that a little too far? How about we go to the zoo!” 

“I want to see them in the artic!” 

“Caro, that’s a pretty complicated trip to make for all of us.” 

“No, it’s not, I bet even Friedrich could go.” 

Any more of this discussion was blocked as Isabella directed her video elsewhere. “Friedrich, I hope you’re not as animal obsessed as Aldrich when you get older. We can only deal with one member with crazy facts and trip ideas,” she chuckled, finding her momentarily refuge in the halls, going to a shelf where she picked a particular album. 

“And we arrive to Aldrich. Ah, our kleiner Prinz, our Strudel, our kleines Brot, our…don’t cross the pedestrian walk until the light is on and just…any other German thing you can think about.” She settled in one of their living rooms upstairs, going through the pages in the album. “Vatti and papa haven’t yet told us the exact story of how and why he came into our family. They always tell us ‘when we’re older’ and they get really embarrassed and red when we mention it.” She found the page she needed. “We can only assume and get ideas by what happened some time before they announced papa was going to have Aldrich.” She showed to the camera the pictures, Ludwig in them fighting with another man at heavy fists and kicks, in different angles, different attacks, only one showing Feliciano trying to stop the heavy commotion. 

“We think this has to do with it. One thing I’m already telling you is…vatti can get extremely jealous…” 

 

Isabella was two years old, with plenty of childish energy and new things to explore. Yet this particular day, she sat at a bench, her legs swinging as she stared to the playground in the near distance, pensive…and afraid. She had come to the park today accompanying Feliciano, who had a meeting with some members of the town hall to discuss the planning of a soon coming festival. The group spoke in a gazebo, open space for those with children to watch over their kids who would be in the playground. Feliciano would find himself distracted when he saw his youngest girl alone, nothing a call enough to get her to go play and thus he worried over her and wanted nothing more than to aid her. As soon as the meeting was done, he headed over, taking instant sitting beside her, one arm wrapped around her shoulder to pull her close to him. 

“Amore, what’s wrong?” 

The little girl’s eyes never departed from the playground as she raised a hesitant finger pointing to the jungle gym, settled well in the center like a palace to the playground. 

“Sergio,” she said. 

He was a five-year-old alpha boy, reigning well at the top of this palace, moving about the platforms, commanding every little child to his bidding. 

“What is he doing?” He wondered. 

“He won’t let me play,” Isabella saddened, well given up into her father’s arms. 

“What? Why?” 

“He says I’m too little and that I’ll ruin his castle.” 

“His castle?” Feliciano rolled his eyes and faced Isabella well. “It’s not his only, Bella. This castle is supposed to be for all to play and no one should take command of it like that. You go on and have fun on your own and don’t listen to him. He really doesn’t have the power he thinks he has.” 

“What if he does something?” 

“I’ll be here watching. I won’t let him lay a finger on you.” 

“Promise me you won’t let him.” 

“Not at all.” 

“I just want to go the swings,” she shyly admitted. 

“Then go, have all the time you want.” With a last kiss to her head, Isabella dared, stood, and moved forward to the array, truly only wanting the swings that stood at one side of the jungle gym. Perhaps Sergio wouldn’t even notice. 

Feliciano had to admit that Isabella was small, probably the most so in the playground, but at two years old she could still stand tall between them, take her swing, sit and move as she wanted, smiling and uncaring to any of the glared stares she received. It was a moment to fill Feliciano with intense pride, enjoyment enough in watching her have fun. Unbeknown to him, a group of men talked on in their spot, surely mates of those who had been in the festival planning meeting. They had children of their own to watch, but they seemed more attentive in their conversation and soda drinks in their hands. 

“-and just like that they fired him. Haven’t heard of him since.” 

“I swear I saw him working at the ski resort.” 

“He has a brother that looks an awful lot like him, perhaps you- Hey, Ethane, is that your boy bossing all those kids into place,” one joked, pointing to the familiar reigning boy in the playground. 

“There he is, shaping them up and letting them know whose the real king,” he laughed and joked, all toasting their cans to an agreement. 

“Not all of them though,” one noticed. 

“That girl there, the brunette who doesn’t even look like she’s started kindergarten.” 

And there was Isabella, swinging away without a care. 

“I would leave her alone too.” 

“Why so?” Ethane was rather insulted that someone was uncaring to his son’s commands. 

“She’s a Beilschmidt.” 

“Beilschmidt? As in Ludwig Beilschmidt?” 

“From that Munich family?“ 

“Yep, that’s his youngest one. I think she’s two if I recall correctly.” 

“Wasn’t Ludwig d-” 

“Still got a sweet position working for Berger in Vicexo.” 

“Owns the old Wagner manor.” 

“They’ve been fixing it incredibly.” 

“Four smart, skillful and beautiful children.” 

“And then there’s his mate,” one whistled with excitement in his thoughts. 

“His mate?” 

“Italian, a Valenti.” 

“Which says enough.” 

“One of the most beautiful omegas in St. Moritz.”

“As if Ludwig could get someone like that.” 

“That’s him right there actually,” one noticed, pointing to the brunette still in his bench, gaze focused sweetly on his daughter. 

“Oh wow.” Ethane was truly impressed, taken aback and left without another word to say. 

“Told you.” 

“That…cannot be his mate.” 

“They have the four kids to prove.” 

Ethane huffed in disappointment, but there was still a gleam in his eyes. “Hm, must mean he’s easy then.” He pushed himself slightly forward, preparing well his jacket. 

“What are you plotting?” One worried. 

“Showing you how you can really get an omega,” he smirked with the outmost confidence, making way towards where the Italian was sitting, the others deciding on only watching by their spot. 

Feliciano didn’t feel him approach, dazed too much in his daughter’s playing that he slightly startled when this new person started coughing to get his attention. 

“May I?” And he pointed to the empty spot beside him. 

“Oh, of course.” Feliciano scooted and gave him the space he wanted while having his own, his eyes never departing from his girl. 

“She’s yours, huh?” He broke the silence that settled after. 

Feliciano was slightly startled but answered as kindly as ever. “Oh. Yes. Her name is Isabella. She really wanted to play with the swings, but this mean boy wouldn’t let her.” He pointed to the self-proclaimed child king. 

The other man chuckled. “That’s my boy,” he smiled proudly, showing off his most attractive smile hoping to catch interest. The gaze he caught instead was one that answered in disappointment. 

“You have to teach him that the jungle gym is not for him only. He should let all the other kids play how they want.” 

“They are just playing after all. Perhaps the other kids like it.” 

“My daughter didn’t.” 

He really needed to change the course of this. “Where’s your mate?” 

Feliciano raised an eyebrow, not finding how that was relevant to what they were just saying. “He’s…picking up my other children. What about yours?” Maybe he or she could do something about this. 

“Probably still in that festival meeting?” 

“What’s their name?” 

“Eveline.” 

“Eveline Schulz?” 

“That’s her!” 

“She’s lovely! She had some amazing ideas for the festival and showed a lot of devotion and spirit to help. You are quite lucky,” he smiled honestly. 

“Na’, I don’t consider myself so.” He scratched the side of his mouth uncaring. 

Feliciano felt insulted for his family. “Why?” 

“They’re not as impressive, not as eye catching as your daughter…as yourself…” and that’s when he landed an arm on the bench behind Feliciano. He began to tremble with slight fear, moving away how he could in the little bank. 

“As…myself?” Feliciano questioned, trying to find something to stir away the topic, not liking how this atmosphere was starting to feel. 

“Yes…you’re quite a beauty, I have to admit. How can you expect me to just ignore it and stand there like nothing? I needed a closer look and a better bite,” he leaned, making a tighter caging to make it more difficult for Feliciano. 

“You’re being…very disrespectful to them. You shouldn’t say things like that.” Feliciano kept his face away, trying to find a way to stand and leave. 

“They get boring after a certain point. You understand that, don’t you?” 

“No…I don’t.” 

Probably because they had four kids, probably because of their different cultures, maybe even because they lived up in the Swiss alps, but his relationship with Ludwig had never reached such a point. Sure, there were calm days of nothing, days of indecision and worry, even days of disagreements. Yet never boring, never a death to the spark of love they shared. 

“Oh, come on. That constipated Beilschmidt cannot keep you as entertained as you wish.” 

“He’s everything I wished and dreamed of. He makes me happier than I ever thought possible,” he wanted to prove. 

“That’s only because you haven’t seen any other show you.” 

“Trust me, I-” 

“Let me show you rightly,” and he took a rough hold of Feliciano’s hand. It was meant to be gentile and romantic, but all Feliciano could feel from it was pain and trespassing. 

 

“I due…ragazzi, attra…attraversano la strada…in…insieme.” Heinrich had already hit himself enough times with the book from how close he kept it to his face as he read. 

“Very good, now, Alessandro,” Ludwig told as he drove on. He really couldn’t look back to make sure they were reading the right sentences and answers, but Lili was with them today to help with that, keeping her eyes to the back for her cousin. 

Alessandro took the book rather harsh, but the moment his eyes landed on the words, he feared and trembled. 

“It’s only Italian, Alessandro. Come on, read it, I’m sure you’ll do a good job,” Lili persuaded. 

“They’ll make fun of me.” He pointed over to Heinrich and Analiese beside him, the little four-year-old already on the verge of another fit of laughter. 

“Heinrich, Analiese,” Ludwig scolded with a fierce glare that froze the two children in obedient silence. 

Lili gave a nod of assurance for Alessandro to know that he had the silence to read his given exercise. 

With one last deep breath, he began: “Tu non sa-sai niente di questo…questo…questo…affa…re.” 

“Affare,” Analiese corrected, earning a glare from her older brother while the younger girl smiled. 

“He read it fine, Analiese,” Lili wanted Alessandro to know. 

“How about you read the next sentence, Alessandro?” Ludwig suggested. 

The boy rolled his eyes but decided on so. “Io e Linda…cono…cono..cono…how do I say this one?” He pointed the word on the workbook to Lili, but even the young girl had difficulty reading that one. 

“I think it’s conotiamo,” Analiese guessed. 

“No, it’s conosiamo,” Heinrich gave his own. 

In that very moment the car stopped before the park, waiting for their papa and their youngest sister to take joining back home. 

“We’ll just have to ask your papa.” Ludwig took the book wanting to give his own try, attentive and determined. 

“I think we should only do this with papa,” Heinrich shyly suggested. 

“Why do we even have to take Italian?” Alessandro groaned and annoyed. 

“Your coming new school wants you to know a second language by now and it would mean the world to your papa. It’s his language after all,” Ludwig wanted them to excite. 

“É certo, vatti!” Analiese agreed, of course, showing off how she was already more adept in the language than her older brothers…and she was only four! 

“Show off,” Alessandro murmured, picking up then his papa’s camera from the car floor. There were some pictures there from his last football practice that he wanted to see. 

“Isn’t Feliciano supposed to be here already?” Lili wondered, not spotting him along with Isabella in the vicinity. 

“He’s probably still talking to some of the other planners,” Ludwig guessed, his eyes still glued to the book. 

“I want to go home,” Analiese pouted, slumping and kicking her legs as if it was enough convincing. 

“Eventually, Mausi.” 

“Just wait a little more, Ana.” 

“Can you put the three little pigs?” Heinrich already pushed forward the CD. 

“Heinrich, we’re studying Italian.” 

“But you have the book!” 

Whatever commotion continued on behind Alessandro, who was too focused on the pictures to really pay attention to what they fussed about. On a quick glance hoping to see their papa coming over, he caught something completely different. “Um…vatti,” he wanted to alert. 

The concern in his son’s voice made him give an instant turning to him. Alessandro pointed, “papa is with someone…and he doesn’t look okay.” 

The two figures’ backs were turned to them, but Ludwig could spot Feliciano’s uneasiness, his try for an escape, moving away from the man that kept a forcing clutch on him. Trying to dispatch, Feliciano had begun to stand away, but this stranger continued to follow him, his grip as tight, going with words of poison surely, trying to ease closer however he could, managing a hand around Feliciano’s waist that was enough to set Ludwig aflame. 

“Wait here,” he told the rest of the car, which was an impossibility as all began to take notice of what was happening. 

Alessandro and Heinrich were both too curious and so they got down as well, ready to follow their father into the battle this would surely become. 

“Wait here,” Lili repeated, having to descend mostly to keep the twins by the car. 

Both the boys groaned, but it didn’t stop Alessandro from preparing the camera. 

“Please, let go,” Feliciano had pleaded enough. 

“Come on, you’ll love me. Loose a little and let yourself have fun,” he had kept coaxing and smirking in a way that was evil to Feliciano. 

“I don’t want to!” Feliciano for once shouted. 

“Give yourself a break and-” there was a sudden tap on his shoulder, groaning, ready to send away whoever had come. At least, that’s what he thought he was going to do, until he was paralyzed by dangerous blue eyes and a stature that seemed to block the sun. 

“You have made a grave mistake,” was the only warning Ludwig gave, for just as instantly he had swung a harsh punch on the invader’s face. 

Feliciano screamed, and Ludwig only delivered another, reigning violence on this person who dared touch and force himself how he could on his mate. Ethane had no way of defending himself upon the new hits and kicks, falling the ever weaker, bloodied and bruised. The hits drove enough attention, from his group of friends, the kids and adults in the playground, even some of the remaining members from the meeting. 

“Ludwig! Stop! Stop!” Feliciano tried to move him away and calm him, but it wasn’t complete, Ludwig fired on until he was sure the message was well understood even in Ethane’s unconsciousness. 

Lili tried to cover the boys’ eyes, but they kept trying to remove her hands, with wonder and smiles, Alessandro actually snapping the moment with the camera. Lili gave up when Analiese joined, impressed instead of horrified. 

“Beat him up! Beat him up! Beat him up!” She jumped and shouted to Lili’s horror. 

It took Ethane’s group of friends approaching to get Ludwig to stop, finally releasing the other even if he still sent a last punch and kick in the air to punctuate. 

“Don’t you dare, come near my mate, or anyone in my family, again!” He threatened fiercely, enough to get the group running off with the limp body to a place that honestly neither Ludwig and Feliciano cared about. 

Feliciano was petrified in his spot, as was Lili, as was many of the onlookers, while the rest of the children jumped, clapped and hollered in celebration. Isabella had been ignorant to all this focusing solely on the fun she had swinging. The only thing that grasped her attention in a sudden turn, was the adding and familiarity of her alpha father. 

“Vatti!” She called excitedly, running off from her swing and to his figure. Whatever menace was in Ludwig’s expression disappeared once he noticed the running figure of one his little girls. There was a smile, welcoming arms that raised her easily once she arrived. 

“I was swinging!” She proclaimed highly. 

“You were?” Ludwig impressed with all the joy one should give to a child. 

“Mhm, and no one stopped me!” 

“Yes! You have fun and you do it because you want to! Don’t let anybody ever stop you.” Ludwig poked her little nose in lesson and she answered with perfect giggles and a strong embrace. Ludwig placed kisses on the top of her head, turning them from the watchful eyes of the playground and to the jumping celebration of his other children. Lili and Feliciano were still as frozen, the brunet managing movement once Ludwig gave him a hand to hold. 

When they came to the car, Ludwig was huddled by the rest of his children, all holding to him with exclamations of impression and bewilderment. 

“And then you punched him like this and kicked him like this!” Heinrich even showcased in quite an adorable way. 

Ludwig really didn’t want to show pride over such violence, but he couldn’t help it, not when his kids looked up to him as if he was some kind of superstar. 

“I took pictures of all of it,” Alessandro raised the camera. 

“I’m going to make you soup!” Analiese decided as some sort of token. Even though at some point Ludwig or Feliciano would take control of it as per usual. 

While they were still as jumpy, celebratory and going on with all kinds of excitements, they went back into the car, Lili now taking a place in the back while Feliciano went on the passenger seat, Ludwig keeping a tight hold of his hand all throughout the drive.

**Author's Note:**

> Just in case:
> 
> 1\. Heinrich 2. Alessandro (Twins)
> 
> 3\. Analiese
> 
> 4\. Isabella
> 
> 5\. Aldrich
> 
> 6\. Giovanna
> 
> 7\. Friedrich
> 
> They will be better described as it continues along.


End file.
